Key Takeaways
- BlackRock, Nvidia, and Microsoft lead a consortium acquiring Aligned Data Centers in a $40 billion deal.
- The group plans a total investment capacity of $100 billion to fuel AI infrastructure growth.
- The transaction is expected to be finalized in the first half of 2026.
A major consortium led by BlackRock, Nvidia, and Microsoft has agreed to acquire Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie in a landmark deal worth approximately $40 billion. This acquisition highlights the intensifying global race to build the foundational infrastructure required for artificial intelligence.
Scale and Global Reach
Aligned Data Centers, founded in 2013, operates a significant network of over 50 facilities across the Americas, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. The company’s projected total capacity exceeds 5 gigawatts. Macquarie Asset Management first invested in the Texas-based firm in 2018 and increased its stake in 2020.
$100 Billion Investment Plan
The acquiring consortium, which includes BlackRock, the Emirati sovereign tech fund MGX, and the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), will utilize a combination of $30 billion in direct investment and leveraged debt. This strategy aims to create a total investment capacity of $100 billion. The AIP itself was established in 2024 by BlackRock in partnership with MGX, Nvidia, and Microsoft.
Leadership Perspectives
“The acquisition allows our clients to participate directly in the growth of AI,” said BlackRock CEO and AIP Chairman Larry Fink.
MGX CEO Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, who is also AIP Vice Chairman, described the deal as a milestone for an “era in which AI will fundamentally reengineer our economies and enable accelerated growth.”
The transaction is anticipated to be completed in the first half of 2026. The specific equity distribution among the partners has not yet been disclosed.
