An investor consortium including BlackRock, Microsoft, Nvidia, and others is acquiring Aligned Data Centers, a leading U.S. data center operator, for $40 billion. This purchase from Australian Macquarie Asset Management marks the first deal by the AI Infrastructure Partnership, which also includes MGX and Elon Musk’s xAI. The acquisition aims to secure vital computing capacity to support artificial intelligence growth, with Aligned offering over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity across the U.S. and Latin America. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink highlighted the investment’s role in powering AI’s future. This deal is part of a broader surge in AI infrastructure investments, with major tech firms projected to spend $400 billion this year. Aligned, founded in 2013, has benefited significantly from the AI spending boom and recently raised $12 billion in capital. Key investors also include the Kuwait Investment Authority and Singapore’s Temasek. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, with Aligned maintaining its Dallas headquarters under CEO Andrew Schaap.
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