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A consortium including Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, and Elon Musk’s xAI has agreed to buy Aligned Data Centers in a deal valued at about $40 billion, marking one of the largest-ever data infrastructure acquisitions as tech giants race to expand capacity for artificial intelligence, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 14
The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) will buy Aligned’s entire equity stake from Macquarie Asset Management. The consortium also includes MGX of Abu Dhabi, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and Singapore’s Temasek. In September 2024, BlackRock, MGX, Microsoft, and Nvidia formed AIP to boost worldwide AI infrastructure investment.
According to CNBC, Aligned, a designer and operator of data centers and campuses in the Americas, presently manages 50 sites, with over 5 gigawatts of active and planned capacity. Subject to regulatory approvals, the deal should conclude in the first half of 2026.
The transaction is AIP’s first major investment and part of its plan to deploy $30 billion in equity capital, potentially reaching $100 billion, including debt, to strengthen cloud and AI infrastructure worldwide.
“AIP is positioned to meet the growing demand for the infrastructure required as AI continues to reshape the global economy,” BlackRock Chairman and AIP Chair Larry Fink said in a statement. “This partnership is bringing together leading companies and mobilizing private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global economic growth and productivity.”
Shares of Nvidia rose about 1% following the announcement.
