Tech
tech
Jon Keegan

SoftBank is seeking a $16.5 billion loan for its huge AI plans

After announcing eye-popping investments in a bunch of huge AI projects, SoftBank is looking for a $16.5 billion bridge loan to help pay for it all, according to Bloomberg.

This would be the largest dollar-based loan that the company has taken on.

SoftBank is going all in on AI, but it may be spreading itself too thin. Two ratings agencies issued warnings for SoftBank that the company’s huge AI bets are putting the company at risk.

Here are some of the big AI plays that SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son has placed:

  • 🇺🇸 SoftBank is the lead backer of the $500 billion “Stargate” project, which aims to build massive AI infrastructure in the US with OpenAI as a partner.

  • 💰OpenAI just announced that SoftBank led a record-breaking $40 billion investment round, staking $30 billion on the startup (contingent on OpenAI’s successful pivot to a for-profit company).

  • 🤖 SoftBank is making big investments in robotics, including a $500 million investment in robotics AI startup Skild AI.

SoftBank shares were down 2.2% in early trading.

SoftBank Seeks Record $16.5 Billion Loan for AI Projects in US

SoftBank Seeks Record $16.5 Billion Loan for AI Projects in US

SoftBank is going all in on AI, but it may be spreading itself too thin. Two ratings agencies issued warnings for SoftBank that the company’s huge AI bets are putting the company at risk.

Here are some of the big AI plays that SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son has placed:

  • 🇺🇸 SoftBank is the lead backer of the $500 billion “Stargate” project, which aims to build massive AI infrastructure in the US with OpenAI as a partner.

  • 💰OpenAI just announced that SoftBank led a record-breaking $40 billion investment round, staking $30 billion on the startup (contingent on OpenAI’s successful pivot to a for-profit company).

  • 🤖 SoftBank is making big investments in robotics, including a $500 million investment in robotics AI startup Skild AI.

SoftBank shares were down 2.2% in early trading.

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$100B
Jon Keegan

Each day of the Musk v. Altman trial in Oakland, California, more details of Microsoft’s complicated $13 billion partnership emerge from the courtroom.

Yesterday, Microsoft executive Michael Wetter said that the company has spent over $100 billion on the OpenAI partnership. A big chunk of that came from the fact that Microsoft needed to build the costly infrastructure before OpenAI could use it, according to Wetter.

Microsoft’s investment looks like it was worth it, as OpenAI is currently valued at $852 billion, making Microsoft’s stake worth about $135 billion. OpenAI is planning for an IPO later this year.

Jon Keegan
8h
Anthropic in talks for funding at a valuation as high as $950 billion, which would make it bigger than OpenAI

An improbable, parabolic rise in valuation has rocketed Anthropic past the presumed leader, OpenAI.

Anthropic’s Dario Amodei
tech
Rani Molla

Alphabet’s Waymo to add 200 square miles of coverage area to existing markets

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, announced today that it’s expanding its coverage area by 200 square miles in several existing markets, including Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, Austin, and Atlanta. That will bring its total coverage area to more than 1,400 square miles. The autonomous car service is currently offering public rides in 11 markets, after expanding to Nashville last month.

25%
Rani Molla

AI companies are amping up their spending in Washington as they push for federal approval for more data centers and industry-friendly rules regarding their use of copyrighted material, among other asks, The New York Times reports, citing data from nonprofit watchdog Public Citizen. 25% of currently registered federal lobbyists are now involved in pushing AI interests. That’s more than double what it was — 11% — in 2023. Meta, Nvidia, and Alphabet spent $47.8 million combined last year, up 22% from 2024.

FINAL BOSS
10h

SUBSCRIPTION TRUCKING

Rani Molla
Einride autonomous truck

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