Why SoftBank’s new $40B loan points to a 2026 OpenAI IPO
SoftBank has taken on a new $40 billion loan to help it cover its $30 billion commitment to invest in OpenAI as part of the Japanese conglomerate’s record-breaking $110 billion raise from the AI model maker last month said Friday.
Most notably, the loan is unsecured and has a 12-month term, meaning it will need to be repaid or refinanced next year. This could be a signal that lenders believe that OpenAI’s long-awaited public listing will indeed arrive later this year, as some outlets, like CNBChave reported. The loan is provided by JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and four Japanese banks.
Since OpenAI’s IPO will undoubtedly be one of the largest stock market listings ever, if it happens this year, it would presumably give SoftBank the liquidity to pay off its debt in such a short time. SoftBank’s new $30 billion investment in OpenAI brings its total stake on the ChatGPT maker to more than $60 billion.
