SoftBank Group starts a large high-yield (“junk”) bond offering intended to finance its artificial intelligence push, including a follow-on investment in OpenAI. Multiple outlets report SoftBank is targeting the equivalent of more than $11 billion, which would rank among the largest corporate junk bond deals by a single non-financial issuer.
According to Bloomberg, FT and Quartz, the planned sale would include dollar-denominated securities and euro-denominated notes, with the exact split across tenors described differently by reporters but centered on a total target above $11 billion. Financial Times and Bloomberg also say the offer is structured in tranches and could price as early as later in the week, depending on demand.
Outlets also emphasize investor yield expectations and market conditions. Financial Times reports indicative yields up to 9.75%, while Japan Times ties SoftBank’s record yields to higher U.S. Treasury rates and notes the yields offered are among the highest SoftBank has faced for certain dollar maturities. Other coverage frames the broader context as SoftBank expanding AI-related financing through multiple loans and notes, and its growing reliance on the value of its OpenAI stake.
