(July 27): SoftBank Group Corp’s US$40 billion (RM163.42 billion) bridge loan for its investment in US tech giant OpenAI has attracted a new group of 21 lenders in a broader syndication phase, according to people familiar with the matter.

The group, which adds to the number of financial institutions already on the deal, has been allocated around US$7 billion of the facility in total, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. Out of that, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, GIC Pte and Standard Chartered Bank have each taken a nearly US$1 billion share, said the people. The rest of the amount was allocated to some European, Japanese and Taiwanese banks, the people added.

The number of new lenders was calculated on the parent level of each institution as some lenders are joining across more than one branch.

The remaining US$33 billion of the bridge loan is held by underwriters and senior lenders, but it may be syndicated further, the people said. It is common for the initial lenders on a deal to distribute loans to a broader group.

The 12-month loan, signed in March, is one of the largest-ever bridge financings in the Asia-Pacific and is set to generate more than US$100 million in fees for underwriters. The facility had already attracted nine new banks before it was launched into general syndication in May, despite concerns among some bankers over SoftBank’s exposure to OpenAI, which is facing increasing competition from rivals including Anthropic PBC.

SoftBank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and GIC declined to comment.

The bridge deal would pay an initial interest margin of about 250 basis points over the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. That would mean an interest rate of 6.14% at current SOFR levels.

SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son has pledged to go “all in” on OpenAI, with commitments now exceeding US$60 billion. OpenAI filed for a public listing last month and was valued at US$852 billion in a fundraising round in March.

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