Story perspectives

SoftBank shares plunge after Altman dashes 2026 IPO plans

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 10:35 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

SoftBank Shares Plunge

SoftBank Group shares fell more than 11% after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said firm will not pursue a 2026 IPO.
SoftBank invested about $64.6 billion for a 13% stake in OpenAI, the asset behind the drop.
Bloomberg estimates SoftBank faces at least $20 billion funding shortfall, prompting $10–$20 billion bond issuances.
SoftBank priced a 1 trillion-yen (?$6.3 billion) retail bond with a 4.75% coupon.
SoftBank arranged an $11.87 billion two-year credit facility, exceeding its $10 billion target.

Summary

SB Energy Funding

SB Energy will raise up to $500 million from Japanese investors before its U.S. IPO.
Nvidia plans a $1.5 billion private-placement investment in SB Energy at the IPO.
OpenAI holds warrants valued around $5.5 billion to purchase SB Energy shares.
SB Energy has contracted 8.8 GW of data-center capacity across Texas and Ohio campuses.
SB Energy controls 5.5 GW of power projects that are under construction or operating.

History

Historical Context

SoftBank launched the Vision Fund in May 2017, assembling about $93 billion—$45 billion from Saudi Arabia’s PIF and $28 billion from SoftBank itself. The fund’s 2017-18 $10 billion Uber investment gave SoftBank a leading stake, but heavy losses left a $20 billion financing shortfall as SB Energy’s $500 million raise pressures the group’s future globally in its broader AI strategy.

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SoftBank Shares Plunge

SoftBank Group shares fell more than 11% after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said firm will not pursue a 2026 IPO.
SoftBank invested about $64.6 billion for a 13% stake in OpenAI, the asset behind the drop.
Bloomberg estimates SoftBank faces at least $20 billion funding shortfall, prompting $10–$20 billion bond issuances.
SoftBank priced a 1 trillion-yen (?$6.3 billion) retail bond with a 4.75% coupon.
SoftBank arranged an $11.87 billion two-year credit facility, exceeding its $10 billion target.

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