TLDR
- An investor group including BlackRock, Nvidia, Microsoft, xAI, Kuwait Investment Authority, and Temasek is buying Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management for $40 billion
- The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) consortium has an initial target of $30 billion in equity capital, with potential to reach $100 billion including debt
- Aligned Data Centers operates 50 campuses with more than 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity across the U.S. and Latin America
- This marks AIP’s first investment, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2026
- The deal follows recent agreements by OpenAI totaling about 26 gigawatts of computing capacity and a $100 billion partnership between OpenAI and Nvidia
A consortium of major tech companies and investment firms has agreed to purchase Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion. The buyer group includes BlackRock, Nvidia, Microsoft, and xAI.
The deal was announced on Wednesday by the newly formed Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP). Other investors in the consortium include Kuwait Investment Authority and Singapore’s Temasek.
AIP has set an initial target of deploying $30 billion in equity capital. The partnership could potentially reach $100 billion when including debt financing.
This represents AIP’s first investment since formation. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026.
Aligned Data Centers designs, builds, and operates facilities for hyperscalers, neoclouds, and enterprises. The company’s portfolio includes 50 campuses across multiple locations.
The data center operator has more than 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity. This includes assets currently under development.
Aligned’s facilities are spread across the United States and Latin America. Specific locations include northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Ohio, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City.
International locations include Sao Paulo, Brazil, Queretaro, Mexico, and Santiago, Chile. The company will continue operating from its Dallas headquarters.
CEO Andrew Schaap will remain in his leadership position. The company’s management structure is expected to stay intact after the acquisition.
Data Center Investment Boom
Earlier this year, Aligned raised $12 billion in one of the largest private capital injections into a data center company. The current deal represents more than three times that amount.
Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock and chairman of AIP, stated the investment will help deliver infrastructure necessary to power AI development. The partnership aims to meet growing demand as AI reshapes the global economy.
The acquisition follows recent major deals in the AI infrastructure space. OpenAI has unveiled agreements totaling about 26 gigawatts of computing capacity in recent weeks.
That amount of capacity could power roughly 20 million U.S. homes. Last week, OpenAI announced a 6-gigawatt AI chip supply deal with AMD.
The AMD agreement includes an option for OpenAI to buy up to a 10% stake in the chipmaker. Days earlier, OpenAI and Nvidia announced a $100 billion partnership.
Current Market Activity
Morgan Stanley estimates major cloud companies are on track to spend $400 billion on AI infrastructure this year. This includes Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Coreweave.
Big tech companies have pledged to continue increasing spending on data center capacity. This commitment persists despite investor concerns about returns on these investments.
Nvidia shares rose more than 2% before the market opened on Wednesday following the announcement. The chipmaker dominates the graphics processor industry and supplies many AI developers.
The deal highlights the capital-intensive nature of AI infrastructure expansion. Companies are racing to build and secure the resources needed for developing AI technology.
