In a landmark move that signals the accelerating race for AI infrastructure, a consortium of tech and investment giants, including BlackRock, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Elon Musk’s xAI, has agreed to acquire Aligned Data Centers in a deal valued at approximately $40 billion. The transaction stands as the largest data center acquisition in history and underscores the critical demand for scalable, power-ready digital infrastructure.
The acquisition is being executed through the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), a group founded in September 2024 by BlackRock, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX to accelerate investment in AI-driven infrastructure. Other participants in the deal include the Kuwait Investment Authority, Singapore’s Temasek, and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
Aligned Data Centers, currently owned by Macquarie Asset Management, boasts a significant footprint, with 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity across 50 campuses in key markets across the Americas. These include locations in Northern Virginia, Dallas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, São Paulo, Mexico, and Santiago.
Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock and Chairman of AIP, emphasized the strategic importance of the deal:
“With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI, while offering our clients attractive opportunities to participate in its growth.”
Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned Data Centers, noted that the partnership would enable the company to “scale faster, innovate further, and redefine what’s possible in sustainable data center infrastructure.”
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals. It marks AIP’s first major investment since its formation and a significant step toward its goal of deploying $30 billion in equity capital toward foundational AI infrastructure.
