SoftBank obtains a $40 billion bridge loan to support its investment in OpenAI.

SoftBank obtains a $40 billion bridge loan to support its investment in OpenAI.

      The unsecured facility arranged with JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Mizuho, SMBC, and MUFG is set to mature in March 2027. Following SoftBank's $30 billion additional investment in OpenAI, its total stake will amount to approximately $64.6 billion, making up about 13% of the company. Masayoshi Son is known for his ambitious thinking, yet the scale and speed of his investment in OpenAI are beginning to raise concerns among credit rating agencies.

      On Friday, SoftBank Group announced that it has secured a $40 billion bridge loan, the largest dollar-denominated loan in its history, aimed at funding its follow-on investment in OpenAI and for general corporate needs. This unsecured facility is set up with JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and MUFG Bank and will mature on March 25, 2027. The loan is intended to finance SoftBank’s $30 billion follow-on investment in OpenAI through its Vision Fund 2. SoftBank finalized an agreement with OpenAI on February 27, 2026, to participate in the company’s current fundraising effort.

      This funding round, announced by OpenAI in February, aims to raise a total of $110 billion at a valuation of $840 billion, with investments of $30 billion from SoftBank, $30 billion from Nvidia, and $50 billion from Amazon. Once completed, SoftBank's total investment in OpenAI is expected to reach around $64.6 billion, providing it with an estimated 13% ownership interest.

      The context for the $40 billion bridge loan links to Son's rapid escalation in investment. By the end of December 2025, SoftBank owned approximately 11% of OpenAI, a significant position. To fund earlier investments in OpenAI, it has sold off other assets, including its stake in Nvidia. The Vision Fund, which established Son's reputation during the 2010s, has fluctuated dramatically between impressive gains and major losses; the investment in OpenAI is seen as a concentrated bet that generative AI will yield returns that justify the use of leverage.

      This week, S&P adjusted its credit outlook on SoftBank downwards, expressing worries that the extent of its investment in OpenAI could affect the company's liquidity and overall asset quality. The broader framework that SoftBank is financing is well-established; it was a founding partner of the Stargate Project, launched in early 2025, which aims for $500 billion in U.S. AI infrastructure investment over four years. In December 2024, Son, alongside then-President-elect Donald Trump, revealed plans for SoftBank to invest $100 billion in AI and related infrastructure in the U.S. over four years.

      The $40 billion bridge loan partially serves as the funding mechanism for this commitment, with repayments expected to be made in stages until maturity, utilizing existing assets and other financing options.

SoftBank obtains a $40 billion bridge loan to support its investment in OpenAI.

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SoftBank obtains a $40 billion bridge loan to support its investment in OpenAI.

SoftBank has obtained a $40 billion loan, its largest in dollars to date, to finance a $30 billion follow-on investment in OpenAI, raising its total investment to approximately $64.6 billion.