SoftBank secures $40 billion loan to boost OpenAI investments

SoftBank Group said ⁠on ⁠Friday it has secured ⁠a $40 billion bridge loan to bolster investments ​in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and for general corporate purposes, marking another ‌significant step in its artificial ‌intelligence strategy.

The Japanese investment conglomerate, led by founder ⁠Masayoshi ⁠Son, continues to strengthen ties with OpenAI as global ​tech firms race to gain an edge in the increasingly competitive generative AI space.

The Japanese investor has previously agreed to ​invest $30 billion in OpenAI through its Vision Fund 2. The ⁠bridge ⁠loan is unsecured, the ⁠company ​said.

The loan, which matures in March 2027, was arranged with ​lenders including JPMorgan ⁠Chase, Goldman Sachs, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp and MUFG Bank.

OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, has emerged as a leading player following the widespread adoption of ChatGPT, ⁠prompting a surge in investment across the sector.

The loan underscores Son’s ⁠increasingly aggressive bet on AI following years when SoftBank swung between outsized gains and heavy Vision Fund losses.

SoftBank and OpenAI were among the companies behind the Stargate Project last year, which said it aimed to invest up to $500 billion over four years to build AI infrastructure in the United States.

Son ⁠and then President-elect Donald Trump announced in December 2024 that SoftBank planned to invest $100 billion in AI and related infrastructure in the U.S. over four years. Reuters