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Tokyo, September 25, 2026 – SoftBank has raised $11.1 billion through a mix of dollar and euro denominated bonds to finance its final $10 billion tranche in OpenAI, underscoring its determination to anchor itself at the center of the artificial intelligence revolution.
The issuance marks one of the largest debt funded commitments to a single technology company, pushing SoftBank’s total investment in OpenAI to $64.6 billion.
The bond sale was structured across multiple maturities, reflecting both investor appetite and SoftBank’s willingness to pay steep yields to secure capital.
In dollars, the group issued $1 billion in 3.5 year notes at 8.625 percent, $4.5 billion in 5.5 year notes at 9.25 percent, and another $4.5 billion in 7.5 year notes at 9.75 percent.
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In euros, it sold €500 million in four year notes yielding 7.125 percent and another €500 million in six year notes at 8 percent.
The proceeds will fund the last tranche of SoftBank’s $30 billion investment plan in OpenAI, a strategy that has steadily expanded since earlier this month when the company raised ¥1 trillion ($6.32 billion) through corporate bonds aimed at retail investors.
With this latest move, SoftBank is positioning itself as one of the most aggressive corporate backers of AI, rivaling sovereign wealth funds in scale.
Market observers note that the high yields reflect both global uncertainty and SoftBank’s heavy leverage.
Yet the successful issuance signals strong investor confidence in AI’s long term potential.
For OpenAI, the infusion of capital is expected to accelerate product development and strengthen its trajectory toward a potential public offering, a milestone that could reshape valuations across the technology sector.
Still, risks loom. SoftBank’s reliance on high-yield debt raises questions about sustainability, particularly if AI returns take longer to materialize.
Skeptics warn of bubble like conditions, with valuations soaring ahead of profitability.
Rising global interest rates further compound the challenge, potentially straining SoftBank’s balance sheet if its AI bets fail to deliver.
Despite these concerns, SoftBank’s $64.6 billion commitment represents more than a financial gamble.
It is a strategic wager on AI as the defining technology of the next decade.
By channeling unprecedented sums into OpenAI, SoftBank is signaling that artificial intelligence is not merely another tech trend but a structural shift in global markets.
The scale of this investment underscores a broader transformation in corporate capital allocation, where frontier technologies are increasingly prioritized over traditional sectors.
For SoftBank, the bet is clear AI is the future, and it is willing to pay dearly to secure its place at the table.
