SoftBank Clears $10 Billion Bridge Facility as OpenAI Bet Reaches $64.6 Billion

SoftBank scrapped the remaining $10B bridge loan after an $11.1B high-yield bond and a final $10B OpenAI instalment brought its total to $64.6B.

SoftBank Group has drawn a line under the short-term borrowing that bankrolled its latest buying spree. The Japanese holding company confirmed it has cancelled the remaining undrawn capacity of a $10 billion bridge loan, leaving no outstanding obligations tied to that facility and tidying its funding structure ahead of a keenly awaited earnings update.

The move caps a stretch in which the group leaned heavily on debt markets to finance an aggressive expansion. According to Reuters, SoftBank issued new paper in dollar and euro tranches worth a combined $11.1 billion, in what ranks as the largest high-yield bond placement ever recorded by a corporate borrower. Proceeds from those senior foreign-currency notes went straight into funding the acquisitions.

Final OpenAI Instalment Pushes Total to $64.6 Billion

A sizeable slice of the capital raised has landed in the technology sector. Through SoftBank Vision Fund 2, the group wired the last $10.0 billion tranche to OpenAI on Thursday, completing a follow-on investment programme announced earlier at a total of $30.0 billion. Cumulative capital committed to the US artificial-intelligence developer now stands at $64.6 billion, equivalent to roughly a 13% stake.

The closing instalment did not, however, spark celebration in the market. Instead, attention shifted quickly to what the spending means for SoftBank's cost of funding.

Profit-Taking Weighs on the Shares

Media reports pointed to profit-taking on Friday as traders reassessed the scale of the debt load and the valuation risks embedded in the portfolio. A broader soft patch across Japanese equities added to the pressure, with worries about future financing costs for the investment drive weighing on sentiment.

The picture in Europe was calmer. The stock finished Friday at EUR 36.75, a modest decline of 0.4%. At that level, the group carries a market capitalisation of about EUR 214.92 billion. Over a one-month horizon, the shares remain up a hefty 35%.

Digital Infrastructure Bolstered by DigitalBridge

Beyond software and model development, SoftBank has been building out the physical layer of the digital economy. On Wednesday it completed the takeover of all outstanding common stock of DigitalBridge Group, Inc., paying around $3.1 billion. The business now operates as a controlled subsidiary and continues as a standalone platform under the leadership of Marc Ganzi.

Stakes in network capacity and data centres give the group a foothold in the infrastructure that modern technologies will increasingly require.

Earnings Date Set for November 10

Investors will get their first detailed look at how these multi-billion-dollar transactions land in the accounts when SoftBank presents second-quarter results on 10 November 2026. The reporting period covers the first half ended 30 September 2026.

The figures should shed light on how interest burdens are shaping the balance sheet and on the trajectory of net asset value, offering the clearest read yet on the immediate financial impact of the group's recent dealmaking.