SoftBank's $40 Billion Gamble: The Biggest Bet in AI History Points to an OpenAI IPO
When Masayoshi Son makes a bet, he doesn’t do it quietly. The SoftBank founder swings for the fences — sometimes spectacularly (early Alibaba), sometimes painfully (WeWork). His latest move might be the most audacious yet: a $40 billion unsecured bridge loan, announced March 27, primarily to fund SoftBank’s massive stake in OpenAI. Forty billion dollars. Unsecured. Twelve-month repayment window. This isn’t corporate financing. It’s a signal flare. The Loan SoftBank secured the loan through JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and four major Japanese banks — Mizuho, SMBC, and MUFG among them. No specific assets pledged as collateral. Matures March 2027. ...