SoftBank’s $40B OpenAI loan draws 21 new lenders

SoftBank Group's $40 billion bridge loan backing its investment in OpenAI has attracted 21 additional financial institutions in a broader syndication phase, according to Bloomberg, as global lenders line up behind what has become one of the largest AI-linked debt facilities ever arranged.x+1

The new group of lenders has been allocated around $7 billion of the facility in total, with First Abu Dhabi Bank, Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, and Standard Chartered each taking a nearly $1 billion share, according to people familiar with the matter. The remaining amount was distributed among European, Japanese, and Taiwanese banks.finance.yahoo+1

A Record-Breaking Facility

The unsecured bridge loan was signed on March 27, 2026, with a maturity date of March 25, 2027. It was originally underwritten by JPMorgan Chase ↗ 0.10%, Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ↘ 1.00%, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and MUFG Bank Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. ↘ 1.57% to fund SoftBank's $30 billion follow-on investment in OpenAI via its Vision Fund 2.thenextweb+2

The syndication process began in April with a "soft launch" phase, during which sub-underwriters were initially asked to commit around $5 billion each. By early May, at least eight banks including HSBC ↘ 0.98%, BNP Paribas, and Intesa Sanpaolo had submitted commitments.japantimes+2

Son's AI Wager Exceeds $60 Billion

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has repeatedly pledged to go "all in" on OpenAI. With this latest $30 billion tranche, the company's total commitments to the ChatGPT maker now exceed $60 billion, representing an ownership stake of roughly 13 percent.finance.yahoo+2

SoftBank completed a $10 billion second tranche of the investment on July 1, with a third $10 billion installment planned for October 1. The company has noted that the final tranche may be accelerated in the event of a public listing of OpenAI shares.group

The loan's short duration and unsecured nature have led market observers to interpret the deal as a signal that lenders expect an OpenAI IPO within the coming months, which would provide SoftBank with the liquidity needed to repay or refinance the facility before its March 2027 deadline.cryptorank+1