SoftBank Secures $40B Loan for OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group announced on Friday that it has secured a $40 billion unsecured loan to fund a $30 billion investment commitment in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT. The financing, arranged by JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and four Japanese banks including Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and MUFG Bank, carries a 12-month term maturing in March 2027. This move comes shortly after OpenAI closed a record $110 billion fundraising round in February, valuing the startup at $840 billion and marking one of the largest private capital raises in history.

The loan provides bridge financing for SoftBank's participation in the round through its Vision Fund 2, bringing the Japanese conglomerate's total investment in OpenAI to approximately $65 billion and securing an ownership stake of around 13 percent. Prior to this commitment, SoftBank held about 11 percent of OpenAI at the end of 2025. The structure of the debt, lacking collateral and with a short repayment window, underscores lenders' confidence in SoftBank's ability to generate liquidity soon, potentially through an initial public offering by OpenAI later this year or in early 2027.