SoftBank is exploring a new funding route that could turn its stake in OpenAI into fresh capital, according to Bloomberg News. The softbank financing talks point to another debt-driven move as the group expands its AI exposure.
Summary
What Bloomberg reported
Bloomberg said the plan centers on a margin loan structure backed by SoftBank’s OpenAI holdings. In practice, that would let the company borrow against an existing asset rather than sell it.
Moreover, the proposed credit line would run for two years, with an option to extend it for another 12 months. A SoftBank spokesperson did not comment when contacted.
Shares of SoftBank rose 6% on Thursday on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, broadly tracking the wider market.
Debt keeps funding the OpenAI bet
This would not be SoftBank’s first large borrowing tied to the AI group. In March, the company said it had secured a bridge financing deal worth $40 billion to support OpenAI-related investment activity and operating costs.
After that announcement, other financial institutions were reportedly brought in through what Bloomberg described as a
