According to a report by Bloomberg on April 2, SoftBank Group is seeking a bridge loan of approximately USD 16.5 billion (CNY 119.807 billion) with a term of 12 months from Japanese financial institutions to build the next-generation artificial intelligence supercomputing project codenamed "Stargate".
In response, two rating agencies have warned that SoftBank's aggressive investment strategy may exacerbate its financial pressure. Japan Credit Rating Agency has downgraded SoftBank's rating outlook from "stable" to "negative". Similarly, S&P Global Ratings stated that the "massive" investment in OpenAI will lead to a deterioration in the financial situation in the next 6 - 12 months and added that its financial management strategy is "aggressive".
SoftBank Group's USD 16.5 billion financing loan will focus on supporting its layout in the artificial intelligence field in the US market. This will be one of the company's largest financing moves since the listing of ARM, marking Masayoshi Son's new big bet in the generative AI race.
Previously, SoftBank collaborated with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX of Abu Dhabi to promote the construction of the "Stargate" AI data center. The project has promised to be implemented by US President Donald Trump.