SoftBank secures $40B unsecured bridge loan to fund further investment in OpenAI and general AI strategy

SoftBank Group has secured a $40B unsecured bridge loan maturing in March 2027, arranged with lenders including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, and MUFG Bank, to bolster its investments in OpenAI and fund general corporate purposes. The Japanese conglomerate has previously committed to investing $30B in OpenAI through its Vision Fund 2 and was a co-backer of the Stargate Project, which aims to invest up to $500B over four years to build AI infrastructure in the U.S. The loan marks another major escalation in founder Masayoshi Son's AI bet, following his December 2024 pledge to invest $100B in U.S. AI and related infrastructure over four years.