SoftBank is seeking loans from banks pitching for mega IPO

Bloomberg

Masayoshi Son is asking Wall Street banks to open their pocketbooks if they want in on what could be the biggest-ever initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter.
SoftBank Group Corp. has told potential underwriters seeking a large role in the blockbuster IPO of its Japanese wireless unit that they should offer to lend to other parts of the parent company’s empire, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t public.
One option being discussed is banks’ lending a combined $8 billion, said two of the people, with SoftBank’s stake in British computer-chip designer ARM Holdings Plc being used as collateral, one of them said. Loans against stakes in other companies have also been considered as the group dangles the carrot of participating in the IPO of SoftBank Mobile, the people said. Firms offering financing are seen as much likelier to get a spot on the IPO, they said.
“There is no truth to this,” SoftBank Spokesman Takeaki Nukii said by phone, declining to comment further.
The stock has gained 11 percent this year compared with a 7.3 percent drop in the Topix index. No final decisions have been made about the structure of the loans or their collateral and SoftBank could still decide to give roles to non-lending banks as well, the people said. Some of the discussions have also included the idea of lending to SoftBank’s almost $100 billion Vision Fund, some of the people said.
At stake for the world’s biggest banks are the fees and prestige from participating in potentially the biggest-ever global listing.
SoftBank is talking to advisers about selling a one-third stake in SoftBank Mobile in a listing valuing the company at $90 billion, people familiar with the matter said in August.
Son said in an investor presentation last month that he’s working towards a listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for SoftBank Mobile.
IPO-bound companies and their backers typically give preference to banks that they have worked with on deals or used as a customer. Take Snap Inc.: The disappearing photo application maker placed a big consideration on which firms had loaned it money when choosing underwriters, people familiar with the matter said.