SoftBank in talks for $5B loan backed by Arm Stake to fund AI push

SoftBank Group Corp. is in advanced talks to secure a $5 billion loan from international banks, signaling the Japanese investment giant’s efforts to ease financial constraints around its nearly $100 billion Vision Fund following the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The loan would be backed by shares of Arm Holdings Plc, the British chip design firm controlled by SoftBank. Sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said the deal is nearing completion and could be finalized in the coming weeks. The additional capital would allow SoftBank to increase its investments in OpenAI and other leading AI ventures. A SoftBank spokesperson declined to comment.

Son Leverages Margin Loans to Fuel SoftBank’s AI Ambitions

The loan is another bold play by Masayoshi Son, founder and chief executive officer of SoftBank, who has been vocal about wanting to turn the group into a powerhouse in the global AI revolution. The financing is structured as a margin loan, a mechanism that lets borrowers access cash by pledging securities.

The financing is structured as a margin loan, a mechanism that allows borrowers to receive cash by using securities — in this case, ARM shares, which have surged by roughly 38% in 2025. The arrangement provides lenders with solid collateral while giving SoftBank additional flexibility to pursue its AI-focused strategy.

Should the new facility be completed, it would increase the total amount borrowed on margin against the company’s stock to approximately $18.5 billion, compared with approximately $13.5 billion as of March 2025, according to its most recent financial filings.

SoftBank has used this structure in the past. Before Arm’s blockbuster initial public offering (IPO) in 2023, the company borrowed about $8 billion in loans against its shares. Those facilities were structured, in part, by the biggest lenders — JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays Plc, BNP Paribas SA, Credit Agricole CIB, and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The fresh $5 billion loan would be a piece of the larger wave of financing. In early 2025, SoftBank secured a $15 billion one-year loan, its largest to date, to fund AI investments in the United States.

Son accelerates multibillion-dollar AI drive

Masayoshi Son has also accelerated the pace of SoftBank’s investments this year as the 2025 target date approaches, setting the conglomerate up to become a global AI powerhouse. It’s the latest in a series of bold moves by Son, who has recently made promises to commit as much as $30 billion to OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and completed a $5.4 billion purchase of ABB Ltd.’s robotics unit, further solidifying SoftBank’s stake in automation.

Son’s vision revolves around Project Stargate, a $500 billion super-infrastructure plan he has designed with the help of OpenAI and Oracle Corporation. The goal is to build next-generation data centers nationwide that are equipped to meet the rapidly growing computing needs of AI systems.

SoftBank is considering building a U.S.-based industrial center with large-capacity production lines for AI-powered robots and smart devices — a move that’s crucial to Son’s vision of integrating AI across all industries as he expands his empire.

Financial market analysts, meanwhile, say these moves could change the SoftBank investment model. However, they also warn that Son’s aggressive borrowing is playing with fire. If market conditions change or demand for AI infrastructure cools, it could leave the company in very serious financial trouble.

The enormous funding push at SoftBank is a symptom of a larger trend coursing through global finance. Big tech investors and large companies are pouring unprecedented amounts of money into AI, an area many believe has the potential to drive significant improvements in productivity, health, and manufacturing.

The volume of debt connected to AI has ballooned to some $1.2 trillion, according to JPMorgan Chase, part of one of the world’s biggest markets for investment-grade credit. This explosion highlights the benefits and drawbacks of the AI boom, in which intertwining financing among companies like Nvidia, OpenAI, and SoftBank sparks concerns about asset bubbles and overleveraging.

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