Stock Markets March 3, 2026

PayPay Seeks Up to $13.4 Billion Valuation in Proposed U.S. Offering

SoftBank to maintain controlling voting stake as payments app files for U.S. IPO; parent plans a major additional OpenAI investment

By Nina Shah
PayPay Seeks Up to $13.4 Billion Valuation in Proposed U.S. Offering

PayPay, the SoftBank Group-backed mobile payments operator, has filed to offer roughly 55 million American depositary shares in a U.S. initial public offering, targeting a valuation of as much as $13.4 billion. The filing sets an indicative price range of $17.00 to $20.00 per ADS and indicates SoftBank-related entities would retain a roughly 91.8% voting stake after the offering, depending on whether underwriters exercise their option to buy more shares. Separately, SoftBank disclosed plans to invest an additional $30 billion in OpenAI this year, increasing its total commitment to $64.6 billion and leaving it with an expected 13% stake in the AI firm.

Key Points

  • PayPay has filed to offer about 55 million American depositary shares in a U.S. IPO, targeting a valuation up to $13.4 billion with a price range of $17.00 to $20.00 per ADS.
  • SoftBank Group entities would retain approximately a 91.8% voting stake in PayPay after the offering, assuming underwriters do not exercise their option to buy additional shares.
  • SoftBank plans to invest an additional $30 billion in OpenAI this year, bringing its total investment to $64.6 billion and leaving it with an expected 13% stake in the AI company.

PayPay, the payments app controlled by SoftBank Group, has filed paperwork for a U.S. initial public offering that targets a valuation of up to $13.4 billion. In a regulatory filing made public on Monday, the company said it expects to offer about 55 million American depositary shares (ADSs) in the proposed transaction.

The filing sets an indicative price range of $17.00 to $20.00 per ADS. The document also notes that, assuming underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares, entities affiliated with SoftBank Group would maintain a voting stake of roughly 91.8% following the offering.

PayPay launched in 2018 and reported 72 million registered users at the end of 2025, a figure the company said represents about 75% of smartphone users in Japan. The company is based in Tokyo and is led by billionaire Masayoshi Son.

In the same filing cycle, SoftBank Group disclosed a separate capital decision related to OpenAI. The Tokyo-based parent said it would invest an additional $30 billion in the artificial intelligence company this year, which would bring SoftBank's cumulative investment in OpenAI to $64.6 billion. After that increment, SoftBank Group is expected to hold a 13% stake in OpenAI.

The regulatory filing for PayPay's ADS offering and the disclosure of SoftBank's planned OpenAI investment together map two closely timed capital moves: a public-market step for the payments business and a substantial private-market commitment by the parent company. The filing makes clear the potential ownership structure post-offering relies on assumptions about underwriters' actions and the final pricing of the ADSs within the stated range.


Context and next steps

The filing provides target share counts and a pricing band but does not confirm final terms or the timing of the offering. Both the ultimate valuation for PayPay and SoftBank Group's final post-investment position in OpenAI will depend on completion of those transactions on the terms outlined in the filings.

Risks

  • The post-offering voting stake for SoftBank Group entities is presented as conditional - it assumes underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares, creating uncertainty around ownership concentration.
  • The valuation for PayPay is a target based on a stated price range; final pricing and the ultimate valuation will depend on the completed offering and are not assured.
  • SoftBank's planned incremental $30 billion investment in OpenAI changes the group's capital allocation and results in an expected 13% stake, but this position depends on the completion of that investment as described in the filing.

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