Michael Saylor 'sMicroStrategy borrowed $500 million to buybitcoin - $100 million more than expected.- The business software company issued 7-year bonds with an interest rate of 6.125%.
- MicroStrategy is committed to bitcoin despite flagging a $284.5 million loss due to the price crash.
Crypto bull Michael Saylor has doubled down on his company's huge bets on $4, borrowing $500 million through
$4 - Saylor's business software company based in Virginia - $4 on Tuesday that it had sold $500 million of high-yield bonds, otherwise known as junk, which will pay an annual rate of interest of 6.125% and are due in 2028. They are believed to be the first bonds directly linked to the purchase of bitcoin.
The offering was larger than the $400 million the company $4 to sell. MicroStrategy received around $1.6 billion in orders, $4, citing people with knowledge of the matter, and received interest from a large number of hedge funds. MicroStrategy has been contacted for comment.
Saylor is one of the most bullish bitcoin advocates in the market. MicroStrategy now owns around 92,000 bitcoin - worth about $3.2 billion on Wednesday - and has previously issued debt to buy the crypto asset. The company estimated that the latest bond offering will give it $488 million to buy more bitcoin.
Yet Saylor's strategy of raising money to buy more bitcoin through high-yield bonds comes with risks, given the cryptocurrency's wild volatility.
MicroStrategy $4 on Tuesday that it expects to take a loss of $284.5 million in the second quarter due to the 42% drop in the value of bitcoin since the end of March.
Bitcoin was trading at around $34,300 on Tuesday, more than 45% below its record high of close to $65,000 touched in April. It has tumbled after Tesla boss Elon Musk $4 and China $4 of the market.
MicroStrategy stock ended Tuesday at $459.38, more than 60% below a peak of around $1,272 hit in February. Yet it was up more than 260% compared to a year earlier.