The Wall Street Journal

How Is SoftBank Funding Its Mega Investment in OpenAI? A Lot of Debt

Masayoshi Son’s company said the first $10 billion would be financed by borrowing from Japanese bank Mizuho and other lenders

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son and OpenAI’s Sam Altman in Tokyo in February.
SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son and OpenAI’s Sam Altman in Tokyo in February. Photo: Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty Images

Global tech investor SoftBank Group is turning to a familiar tool to fund its $40 billion investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI announced late Monday: debt. 

The Tokyo-based company, led by billionaire Masayoshi Son, said it expected its first $10 billion chunk of the deal would be financed by borrowing from Japanese bank Mizuho and other lenders and be completed in April. The remaining $30 billion would come by early 2026.

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