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SoftBank Raises $11.1 Billion in Record High-Yield Bond Sale

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SoftBank Group has raised $11.1 billion through dollar- and euro-denominated bonds, marking the largest high-yield corporate bond sale globally. The fundraising comes as the Japanese investment group seeks to finance its major investments in OpenAI and other artificial intelligence ventures, adding to a broader increase in corporate borrowing linked to AI.

The company issued dollar bonds across three maturities with interest rates ranging from 8.625% to 9.75%, along with two euro-denominated bond tranches yielding 7.125% and 8%. The borrowing costs are significantly higher than SoftBank’s 2021 bond sale, when yields ranged from 2.125% to 5.25%. SoftBank has also raised ¥1 trillion ($6.3 billion) through a recent bond issue aimed at retail investors.

SoftBank has committed about $64.6 billion to OpenAI and is pursuing additional deals, including acquisitions in robotics and digital infrastructure. The scale of its borrowing has increased scrutiny of its finances, while the cost of insuring its debt against default has risen. Analysts noted that SoftBank’s concentration in assets such as Arm and OpenAI has increased, although strong Arm share performance has provided some support to the company’s credit position.

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France Lands Record $108 Billion Foreign Investment Blitz Led by SoftBank

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At the annual Choose France summit in Versailles, President Emmanuel Macron announced a record-breaking €93 billion ($108 billion) in foreign investment pledges across 71 projects, which are expected to create over 15,600 jobs. The massive influx of capital comes at a crucial time for the French economy as the national unemployment rate has recently crept above 8%, remaining stubbornly higher than the European Union average.

The crown jewel of the summit is a monumental AI infrastructure deal with Japanese tech giant SoftBank, which has committed €45 billion—potentially rising to €75 billion—to build three massive data centres in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. Boasting a combined capacity of 3.1 gigawatts, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son stated that the project aims to establish France as Europe’s primary AI hub, helping the continent close the computing capacity gap with the United States and China.

Macron successfully leveraged France’s domestic energy advantages to seal the historic deal, marketing the country’s growing electricity surplus and fleet of 57 nuclear reactors to meet the immense power demands of modern AI technology. Son noted that the agreement came together rapidly following an April meeting with Macron in Tokyo, allowing France to effectively transition from exporting raw electricity to exporting high-value digital intelligence.

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SoftBank’s Son Eyes $100 Billion Investment in France for AI Expansion

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SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son is considering investing up to $100 billion in France, including a large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure project, according to a Bloomberg News report. The proposed investment would focus heavily on AI data centers and advanced digital infrastructure as demand for generative AI services continues to rise globally.

Son has reportedly discussed plans for a major French AI data center initiative with French President Emmanuel Macron, with a possible announcement expected during the upcoming Choose France Summit. The report noted that discussions are still ongoing and the size and scope of the investment could change before any official confirmation.

SoftBank has aggressively expanded its AI portfolio in recent years, including investing more than $30 billion in OpenAI for an estimated 11% stake. The company also partnered with OpenAI and Oracle Corporation on the $500 billion Stargate AI network project in the United States, while continuing investments in robotics and digital infrastructure firms.

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