An investment consortium featuring BlackRock, Nvidia, Microsoft, xAI, and other partners has agreed to acquire Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management in a $40 billion deal. This acquisition marks the inaugural investment of the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), a group with plans to deploy up to $100 billion in AI infrastructure projects.
Aligned Data Centers operates 50 data center campuses across the U.S. and Latin America, totaling over 5 gigawatts of capacity. The company will continue to be headquartered in Dallas, Texas, under the leadership of CEO Andrew Schaap. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
The AIP consortium aims to address the growing demand for AI computing capacity by expanding data center infrastructure. The group plans to invest $30 billion in equity, with a total investment capacity of $100 billion, including debt. This move reflects a broader trend among tech and investment firms to secure critical AI infrastructure amid surging demand.
Analysts view this acquisition as a strategic step in the race to build the infrastructure necessary to support advanced AI models. The deal underscores the importance of expanding data center capacity and energy resources to fuel the AI boom.
The collaboration between financial institutions and technology companies in this venture highlights the increasing convergence of finance and technology sectors in the AI infrastructure space. As AI continues to evolve, investments like this are expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future of digital infrastructure.
The $40 billion deal is one of the largest data center acquisitions of the year and potentially the biggest ever for a data center company. It underscores the significant capital being directed toward AI infrastructure development as companies and investors seek to capitalize on the growing demand for AI capabilities.
The acquisition is poised to accelerate the development of AI infrastructure, contributing to the expansion of digital economies and the advancement of AI technologies globally.
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