SoftBank to Repay $40 Billion Bridge Loan for OpenAI Stake

September 9, 2026 at 01:46 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

SoftBank Group Corp. will repay the entire outstanding balance of $25.9 billion on its $40 billion bridge loan on Sept. 15. The Japanese conglomerate is moving to refinance the debt with longer-term borrowings, including a potential junk-bond sale. The repayment comes as SoftBank prepares to meet investors in New York next week.

Key Facts

SoftBank will pay down the entire outstanding balance of $25.9 billion on Sept. 15.
The $40 billion bridge loan is SoftBank's largest-ever borrowing denominated solely in dollars.
SoftBank is considering raising $10 billion to $20 billion from a junk-bond sale, which may include a tranche in euros.
SoftBank has raised the equivalent of about $25 billion in total from offshore and domestic bond sales and a margin loan this year.
In August, SoftBank CFO Yoshimitsu Goto said the company intended to begin taking out the $40 billion bridge loan ahead of schedule through permanent financing.

Bridge Loan Repayment

SoftBank Group Corp. will repay the entire outstanding balance of $25.9 billion on its $40 billion bridge loan on Sept. 15, according to a company statement. The loan, signed earlier this year to finance SoftBank's investment in OpenAI, was due to mature in March next year. The non-collateralized borrowing was used for SoftBank's investments in OpenAI as well as for other costs, the company said in March. SoftBank has tried to stay ahead of that deadline, with bond issuances pushing the maturity out by several years, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Kirk Boodry.

Refinancing Plans

SoftBank is set to hold meetings with investors in New York next week to sound out interest for a potential US dollar junk-bond sale. The Japanese firm is considering raising $10 billion to $20 billion from a junk-bond sale, which may also include a tranche in euros, people familiar with the matter said last month. SoftBank recently secured a $10 billion margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake. Already this year, SoftBank has raised the equivalent of about $25 billion in total from offshore and domestic bond sales and a margin loan, Bloomberg-compiled data show. It is separately seeking another $10 billion loan.

Financing Strategy

In August, SoftBank Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto said the company intended to begin taking out the $40 billion bridge loan ahead of schedule through permanent financing. That could include bank-led syndicated loans and bond issuances in the domestic and international markets, as well as asset-backed financing including margin loans, financing involving derivatives and potentially asset sales, he said. The $40 billion loan is SoftBank's largest-ever borrowing denominated solely in dollars, reflecting founder Masayoshi Son's determination to position his company at the center of the global AI boom.