SoftBank Group is reportedly working to secure a massive loan as it continues to expand its investments in the artificial intelligence sector. The Japanese technology investor, led by billionaire Masayoshi Son, is said to be in discussions with several banks to raise around $40 billion, with most of the funds expected to support its growing stake in OpenAI.
The financing is expected to come in the form of a 12-month bridge loan and could become the largest dollar-denominated borrowing in SoftBank’s history. According to people familiar with the discussions, four major lenders, including JPMorgan Chase, may help arrange and underwrite the facility.
The scale of the potential loan highlights Son’s strong belief that artificial intelligence will drive the next major wave of technological transformation. SoftBank is planning to invest roughly $30 billion more into OpenAI, adding to the large amount of capital it has already poured into the company that created ChatGPT.
By December 2025, SoftBank had accumulated an estimated 11 percent stake in OpenAI, which is led by chief executive Sam Altman. To help finance that investment, the company earlier sold part of its holdings in semiconductor giant Nvidia, led by CEO Jensen Huang.
OpenAI has now emerged as one of SoftBank’s most important investments outside of Arm Holdings, the British chip design firm in which the group still owns about 90 percent. As a result, SoftBank’s long-term performance is becoming closely tied to OpenAI’s ability to compete with other leading AI developers, including Google’s Gemini models and Anthropic’s Claude systems.
Beyond direct investments, SoftBank has also been expanding the broader infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence. The company and OpenAI have together committed $1 billion toward a data-centre infrastructure initiative backed by SB Energy, aimed at strengthening the computing capacity required to power advanced AI systems.
At the same time, SoftBank continues to pursue large technology acquisitions in other areas. The group has agreed to acquire infrastructure investment firm DigitalBridge Group in a deal valued at around $3 billion.
During 2025, the company also acquired US chip designer Ampere Computing for $6.5 billion as part of its push deeper into semiconductor technology. In addition, SoftBank has proposed purchasing the robotics division of ABB for approximately $5.4 billion.
The growing list of deals illustrates how aggressively SoftBank has been investing in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence. To fund these moves, the company has increasingly relied on borrowing and selling assets.
Reports suggest that SoftBank has expanded margin loans backed by its holdings in SoftBank Corp. and Arm in order to raise additional capital for new investments.
Masayoshi Son has long been known for making bold, high-risk investments in emerging technologies. Some of those bets have delivered extraordinary returns in the past, including early investments in companies such as ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
However, analysts have cautioned that the scale of SoftBank’s current AI spending could create financial pressure if the sector slows down. Credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings recently revised its outlook on the company’s credit profile, pointing to concerns that increasing exposure to OpenAI and other AI ventures could affect SoftBank’s liquidity and the quality of its assets.
Industry analysts estimate that since 2025, SoftBank has financed more than $70 billion worth of artificial intelligence investments through a mix of debt and asset sales. This approach has raised the group’s overall debt levels and sparked debate among investors about whether the rapid surge in AI funding could eventually face a correction.
Another factor that could influence SoftBank’s financial outlook is the uncertain timeline for a possible OpenAI public listing. Many investors see a future IPO of the company as a major event that could significantly strengthen SoftBank’s balance sheet.
Despite the risks, Son appears determined to continue pushing forward with his AI strategy, betting that artificial intelligence will shape the next era of global technology and computing.
Also Read: SoftBank Doubles Down on OpenAI as AI Holdings Climb to 60% of Its Portfolio
