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Microsoft plans to raise $25 billion in debt for AI buildout

JPMorgan, UBS and Wells Fargo are managing the ten-part bond sale, which settles November 4 and could change size with demand; the receipt is large.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN Game Night
Published 8:55 PM ET, Thursday, October 29, 2026

At a glance

First reported by CNBC: “Microsoft plans to raise $25 billion in debt as it pursues AI buildout”, with reporting from TechCrunch, Cryptonomist, Yahoo Finance (Investing.com) and Techstrong.ai.
Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 8:55 PM ET on BBN Game Night, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
Topics: AI.

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

CNBCMicrosoft plans to raise $25 billion in debt as it pursues AI buildout
TechCrunchMistral releases weights for its trillion-parameter AI model, targeting cybersecurity
CryptonomistMicrosoft US bond sale seeks at least $25B to fund AI growth October 29, 2026 · facts used on air
Yahoo Finance (Investing.com)Microsoft seeks at least $25 billion in first bond sale since 2017 facts used on air
Techstrong.aiMistral AI Releases Flagship Large 4 Open Weights to Bolster Enterprise Cybersecurity, Model Sovereignty - Techstrong.ai October 29, 2026 · facts used on air

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentMicrosoft is selling at least twenty-five billion dollars in bonds, its first big debt sale since twenty seventeen, when it raised seventeen billion.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhy borrow? It has the top credit rating, and only Johnson and Johnson shares it.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentBecause it spent forty-five point two billion dollars on data centres and equipment last quarter, and free cash flow fell twenty-seven percent.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentAlphabet is in the same spot, with negative free cash flow two quarters running and spending guided up to two hundred five billion.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFifty-one point four billion spent against forty-two point three billion earned. Nobody's reading the receipt.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentMeanwhile Mistral just released the weights of a one point oh five trillion parameter model, nicknamed Le Chonk.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentWeights released, Kenji. Then you need the chips. Thirty-eight hundred Blackwell chips. Somebody's still borrowing for that.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentLe Chonk is the only one in this story not asking for a loan.