SoftBank seeks $40B loan to fund massive OpenAI bet after ChatGPT maker hits $730B valuation

SoftBank is preparing one of the biggest financing moves in its history as the Japanese tech conglomerate looks to deepen its bet on OpenAI.

The Japanese conglomerate is reportedly seeking a loan of up to $40 billion to help finance its growing investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, according to a new Bloomberg report. If completed, the financing would rank among the largest dollar-denominated borrowings in SoftBank’s history.

The loan would serve as a short-term bridge facility with a tenor of about 12 months, Bloomberg reported, with several major banks expected to participate in the underwriting. Among them is JPMorgan Chase, one of four lenders said to be involved in the deal.

The move comes days after OpenAI stunned the technology industry with a $110 billion funding round backed by Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank. The capital injection pushed the company’s valuation to roughly $730 billion, placing the ChatGPT maker among the most valuable private technology companies ever.

SoftBank in talks for $40B loan to finance OpenAI investment, Bloomberg reports

“SoftBank Group Corp. is seeking a loan of as much as $40 billion to mostly help finance its investment in US tech giant OpenAI,” Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter, “in what would be its largest-ever borrowing denominated solely in dollars.

“The bridge loan would have a tenor of about 12 months, according to some of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. Four lenders, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., will be underwriting the facility, the people said,” Bloomberg added.

Discussions between SoftBank and lenders are still ongoing. Terms could change before a deal is finalized, the report said.

Meanwhile, Reuters said it could not independently confirm Bloomberg’s reporting. Representatives for SoftBank and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The financing effort highlights how aggressively SoftBank is positioning itself in the AI race. Son has spent the past year steering the company back toward bold technology bets after several high-profile Vision Fund investments struggled.

OpenAI has become the centerpiece of that strategy.

SoftBank held roughly an 11% stake in OpenAI at the end of last year, giving the Japanese conglomerate a major foothold in the company’s growth.

Investor enthusiasm around OpenAI has continued to build as generative AI reshapes software, search, and enterprise tools. The company is preparing the groundwork for a potential public listing that could eventually push its valuation even higher.

Reuters reported last year that OpenAI had begun laying the foundation for an IPO that could value the company at around $1 trillion.

If SoftBank secures the $40 billion loan, the financing would mark one of the clearest signals yet that Masayoshi Son believes the AI boom is still in its early stages—and that OpenAI will remain at the center of it.