Patanjali Foods Ltd., Sanofi India Ltd. and Mold‑Tek Technologies Ltd. are among the companies that will be on investor radar this week as they go ex-dividend. CIE Automotive India Ltd. and Sanofi India Ltd. will go ex‑dividend on April 22. CIE Automotive has announced a final dividend of Rs 7
Dolphins HC's bold Micah Parsons prediction in focus amid uncertain ACL injury return timelineMicah Parsons prepares for a 2026 return with the Packers, as Jeff Hafley predicts a record-breaking sack season after his ACL injury comeback. Published on: Apr 20
Brock Lesnar fuels retirement speculation after leaving gear in the ring post-loss to Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42Brock Lesnar left his gloves and wrestling boots inside the ring after losing to Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42. Updated on: Apr 20
Months ahead of the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, rumours about Apple's flagship show no signs of slowing down. While Apple continues to stay mum on the official presence or the features of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, leaks have given us a good hint of what upgrades to expect from the Apple flagship
The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday conducted searches at premises linked to Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas and a businessman in connection with a money laundering investigation in West Bengal, PTI quoted unidentified officials as saying
Throughout US President Donald Trump's second term in office, traders have been betting millions of dollars just before he makes major announcements. The BBC has examined trade volume data on several financial markets and matched them to some of the president's most significant market-moving
Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-1 in a crucial Premier League match. Erling Haaland scored the winning goal, ending his league goal drought. This victory puts City three points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand. The win boosts City's title aspirations as they aim to overtake Arsenal in
Till a few months ago, he was patrolling Meitei villages near Manipur’s Moirang town. The 43-year-old had taken up arms and joined a cadre of 250 “village volunteers” – armed civilians who “defended” their community’s territory as the conflict that erupted in Manipur in May 2023
SoftBank races to fulfil $22.5 billion funding commitment to OpenAI by year-end, sources say
SoftBank Group is racing to close a $22.5 billion funding commitment to OpenAI by year-end through an array of cash-raising schemes, including a sale of some investments, and could tap its undrawn margin loans borrowed against its valuable ownership in chip firm Arm Holdings, sources said. The "all-in" bet on OpenAI is among the biggest yet by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, as the Japanese billionaire seeks to improve his firm's position in the race for artificial intelligence. To come up with the money, Son has already sold SoftBank's entire $5.8 billion stake in AI chip leader Nvidia, offloaded $4.8 billion of its T-Mobile US stake, and slashed staff.
Son has slowed most other dealmaking at SoftBank's Vision Fund to a crawl, and any deal above $50 million now requires his explicit approval, two of the sources told Reuters. Son's firm is working to take public its payments app operator, PayPay. The initial public offering, originally expected this month, was pushed back due to the 43-day-long U.S. government shutdown, which ended in November. PayPay's market debut, likely to raise more than $20 billion, is now expected in the first quarter of next year, according to one direct source and another person familiar with the efforts.
The Japanese conglomerate is also looking to cash out some of its holdings in Didi Global, the operator of China's dominant ride-hailing platform, which is looking to list its shares in Hong Kong after a regulatory crackdown forced it to delist in the U.S. in 2021, a source with direct knowledge said. Investment managers at SoftBank's Vision Fund are being directed toward the OpenAI deal, two of the above sources said.
SoftBank's scramble to marshal funds offers a window into the strain faced even by the world's biggest dealmakers as they scramble to finance ambitious AI data center projects worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
SoftBank declined to comment.
SoftBank has options
OpenAI has not yet received the remaining funding, but expects the money to come in by the end of 2025, as stipulated in the contract, sources said.
SoftBank has multiple sources of capital it could tap, including margin loans, cash on its balance sheet, stakes in listed companies, and corporate bonds or bridge loans, sources said. Son has strong reasons to draw on a range of funding mechanisms to fulfill those obligations. SoftBank secured a deal to invest in OpenAI at a $300 billion valuation in April. Since then, the valuation of OpenAI has risen dramatically and the company is in talks to raise additional funding from investors, including Amazon, tripling its valuation to close to $900 billion, one of the sources added, which would give SoftBank a significant paper gain once the transaction is completed.
A major pool of capital for SoftBank is its undrawn capacity of margin loans borrowed against its ownership of British semiconductor and software design company Arm Holdings. SoftBank recently expanded its margin loan capacity by $6.5 billion, bringing the total undrawn capacity to $11.5 billion. Arm's stock has since tripled from its IPO price, providing SoftBank with additional collateral headroom to expand its borrowing capacity.
SoftBank reported parent-level cash of 4.2 trillion yen ($27.16 billion) as of September 30. The group still owns about 4% of T-Mobile US, remaining the wireless carrier's second-largest shareholder, a stake worth roughly $11 billion at the end of September, according to LSEG data. Despite investing at a less active pace, it has continued to back AI startups such as Sierra and Skild AI.
OpenAI needs the money
Both OpenAI and SoftBank are investors in Stargate, a $500 billion initiative to build AI data centers for training and inference that executives say is crucial to the U.S. government's ambitions to keep ahead of China in AI.
The rush to build data centres has also prompted tech giants including Meta Platforms to commit unprecedented sums to these buildouts - which need chips, power, cooling, and servers - and they have brought in deep-pocketed partners to spread the risk. Their hefty capital outlays have sparked concerns about what happens if the investments fail to bring commensurate returns, raising the specter of an "AI bubble" bursting. SoftBank promised in April to invest up to $30 billion in OpenAI - $10 billion of which the startup would receive the same month. The rest of the payment was contingent on the AI startup transitioning to a for-profit corporation by the end of the year, an ambitious feat that OpenAI achieved in October.
The new funding is crucial for covering OpenAI's rising costs to train and run its AI models as competition from Alphabet's Google ratchets up. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees recently that the company is now entering a "code red" phase to improve ChatGPT - delaying other product rollouts to fend off the momentum behind Google's Gemini.
In October, Altman said OpenAI aimed to build 30 gigawatts of computing capacity for $1.4 trillion. He said he ultimately wants OpenAI to add 1 gigawatt of compute every week - an enormous target given that each gigawatt currently comes with a capital cost of more than $40 billion.
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: SoftBank to buy DigitalBridge in $4 billion deal to bolster AI infrastructure push Japan's SoftBank to invest $2 billion in Intel SoftBank’s $30 billion OpenAI bet spurs S&P credit outlook cut SoftBank makes surprise $2 billion bet on Intel’s AI revival SoftBank seeks up to $40 billion loan to finance OpenAI investment Japan, US narrow first $550 billion investment picks, including SoftBank-linked plan, sources say SoftBank in talks for $5 billion margin loan backed by Arm stock PM Modi underscores 'shared commitment to global progress and prosperity' A Testament To Commitment Reflects govt's true commitment to Paris Agreement
Anthropic abruptly suspended more than 60 Claude AI accounts belonging to Belo, a Latin American fintech app focused on international transfers, currency exchange, and prepaid cards, on 18 April. Belo CTO Pato Molina pressed the issue in a post on X
8 hours ago
China has sent a group of warships to hold drills in the western Pacific Ocean, a move that comes as Japan for the first time joins massive exercises with the US and the Philippines, highlighting growing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. The Chinese navy dispatched a naval task group led by the
8 hours ago
A United States delegation will arrive in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Monday for the second round of negotiations with Iran, said US President Donald Trump in a social media post. “We are offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because, if they do not
8 hours ago
K’taka CM, DyCM target Centre over women’s quota, delimitation billCM Siddaramaiah accused PM Modi of politicizing women's reservation; Shivakumar criticized the bill's lack of consultation. BJP blamed Congress for its defeat. Published on: Apr 20, 2026 7:56 AM IST By Arun Dev
8 hours ago
North Korea conducted its second ballistic missile test this month, featuring cluster bomb warheads, likely to enhance its ability to penetrate U.S. and South Korean defenses. Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of upgraded Hwasong-11 Ra missiles
8 hours ago
Indian founder turned down $525K job, Stanford PhD to build $61-million AI startupVarun Vummadi is the co-founder and CEO of Giga, a San Francisco-based startup that builds voice-based AI agents for businesses. Updated on: Apr 20, 2026 6:43 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link Y Combinator
8 hours ago
Bengal's election campaign intensifies as Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee directs party workers to reach out to all voters. Cadres are instructed to explain government schemes and development work. They are also told to remain vigilant on polling day, monitor EVMs, and report any intimidation
8 hours ago
'Ghost' waiter scares child at Varanasi restaurant, viral video sparks outrage: 'Childhood trauma created successfully'A clip from a restaurant has sparked criticism online after a staff member dressed as a ghost was seen approaching diners to scare them. Updated on: Apr 19
8 hours ago
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly criticized the BJP. She accused the party of intimidating her political consultancy firm, I-PAC. Banerjee also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding women's reservation and delimitation
8 hours ago
Punjab Kings secured a commanding 54-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants. Punjab Kings posted a record 254 runs, driven by exceptional batting performances. Lucknow Super Giants' chase fell short despite some strong individual efforts. This win propels Punjab Kings to the top of the table
8 hours ago
Global oil prices jumped in Monday morning trade in Asia after President Donald Trump said the US has intercepted and seized an Iran-flagged cargo ship. It came after Iran said on Saturday that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway again to commercial vessels and that any ship that
8 hours ago
With one more worker dying during treatment on Sunday, the toll in the blast at a power plant owned by Vedanta Limited in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district rose to 24, PTI reported, quoting officials. Eleven other persons are undergoing treatment. Two of them are in critical condition
8 hours ago
At least 23 workers were killed and six others injured in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Virudhunagar on Sunday, reported The Hindu. Searches were being held at the spot amid concerns that additional workers could be trapped as parts of the building collapsed due to the blast
8 hours ago
Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway: The upcoming Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway is set to ease travel between the two major cities in Uttar Pradesh, offering faster and smoother connectivity across a 63 km stretch. Built as a six-lane, access-controlled corridor
8 hours ago
Chandigarh: Cong, BJP trade barbs over women’s quotaAddressing a press conference at the BJP’s state office in Sector 33, Union minister of state for defence, Sanjay Seth, said the legislation was a “historic step” aimed at ensuring 33% reservation for women in legislatures Published on:
8 hours ago
Bayern Munich clinched a 35th league title on Sunday by beating Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena - but could this prove to be the most impressive triumph of them all? After nearest challengers Borussia Dortmund fell to defeat at Hoffenheim on Saturday
8 hours ago
Jesus Christ stands at gunpoint, palms upturned, seven figures in a firing squad around him. The bronze riflemen are unmistakable in their likeness. They are Mao Zedong, the long-deceased dictator who founded the People's Republic of China, and presided over some of the most traumatic chapters in
8 hours ago
Dhurandhar singer Jasmine Sandlas opens up on alcoholism, regrets choices she made: ‘I drank more than I should have’Jasmine Sandlas talked at length about her past and shared that she had a tough childhood, and holds on to some of the resentments. Apr 20, 2026
8 hours ago
Ryan Reynolds reacts to Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle: ‘People have no idea what is really going on’Ryan Reynolds stepped forward to support Blake Lively when he was asked how his family was managing amid her high-profile legal battle against Justin Baldoni. Apr 20, 2026
8 hours ago
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested a Kolkata businessman in a money laundering investigation. The probe targets a criminal syndicate operating in the poll-bound state. Searches were conducted at the businessman's residence and that of a Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner
8 hours ago
Love Horoscope Today for April 20, 2026: Avoid compromising your values just to maintain peaceLove Horoscope Today: Find daily astrological predictions for all sun signs. Updated on: Apr 20, 2026 7:30 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link Aries Horoscope Today Love Energy: Passion with
8 hours ago
Humanoid robots race past humans in Beijing half-marathon, showing rapid advanceThis year, several robot frontrunners were noticeably faster than professional athletes, beating the human winners by more than 10 minutes. Updated on: Apr 19, 2026 8:21 PM IST Reuters | BEIJING Share via Copy link
8 hours ago
Israel and Argentina have launched direct flights connecting the two nations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Argentine President Javier Milei announced the new route. This initiative aims to deepen economic cooperation, facilitate business, and encourage tourism
8 hours ago
The Central Bureau of Investigation has apprehended a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation official and a consultant linked to Reliance Industries. The arrests stem from an alleged bribery case involving ₹2.5 lakh for drone import approvals
8 hours ago
'Bullying behaviour': Iran dials Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif after US seizes cargo ship near Hormuz straitPakistan is trying to broker peace between Iran and the US as the deadline for Middle east ceasefire expires on Wednesday. Updated on: Apr 20
8 hours ago
Indian Railways has introduced three summer special trains from Bihar to key destinations to manage peak holiday travel demand and reduce passenger congestion. As summer travel gathers pace across the country, Indian Railways has announced three special trains originating from Bihar to ease the
8 hours ago
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant will play his team's match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), thus allaying injury fears ahead of the important match. During LSG's match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on 15 April, Rishabh Pant was hit on his left arm after facing a short length
1 days ago
