AI Financing Is an Arms Race, Says GoldenTree's Tananbaum

Bloomberg Technology
Bloomberg TechnologyJun 3, 2026

Why It Matters

The surge in AI infrastructure financing could reshape credit risk and returns, forcing allocators to choose between yield-seeking and capital preservation amid potential overcapacity. Investors who misjudge technicals or overpay for exposure risk persistent underperformance relative to equities and heightened default or restructuring outcomes.

Summary

GoldenTree partner says AI financing has become an 'arms race,' with tech firms and backers pouring massive capital into infrastructure—creating attractive near-term credit opportunities but poor technical supply dynamics and a risk of overinvestment. He argues credit markets have lagged equities this cycle, offering low single-digit returns and selective distress in software, telecom and cable where debt-equity relationships are increasingly complex. GoldenTree is cautious and selective, favoring additional contractual assurances from users of AI projects and looking for pockets of value rather than broad exposure. The firm sees this as a situational market that rewards careful structuring and active credit selection.

Original Description

GoldenTree Asset Management Founder and CIO Steven Tananbaum says he expects credit to continue to languish, though there are some pockets of opportunity, and adds that the financing of AI is an arms race. He sat down with Lisa Abramowicz at the Bloomberg Global Credit Forum in New York City.
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