A group of leading global investors, including BlackRock, Nvidia, and Microsoft, has announced the acquisition of one of the largest data center operators — Aligned Data Centers. The deal is valued at over $40 billion, making it a record for the newly formed AI Infrastructure Partnership established in 2024.
This is reported by Finway
Scale and Strategic Importance of the Deal
Also participating in this landmark deal are the sovereign fund MGX from Abu Dhabi and the startup xAI, founded by Elon Musk. The primary goal of the acquisition is to enhance the infrastructure for the rapid development of artificial intelligence. Aligned operates approximately 80 data centers in the U.S. and Latin America, with a total capacity reaching 5 GW, and the company has already attracted over $12 billion in investments at the beginning of 2024.
According to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, the investment in Aligned supports the goal of creating the infrastructure necessary for the future of AI.
Aligned’s clients include companies such as Nutanix and Datto. The company’s portfolio consists not only of ready-made data centers but also land plots with access to key energy resources, allowing for capacity expansion in strategic markets.
Market Trends and Future Investments
Experts emphasize that this deal reflects the growing interest of financial giants in developing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. According to Morgan Stanley estimates, global investments in AI data centers will exceed $400 billion by 2025. It is known that OpenAI has already signed agreements with chip manufacturers Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom for a total supply capacity of 26 GW — equivalent to the energy consumption of 20 million American households.
Other tech corporations, such as Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet, are also actively expanding their own AI centers, including powerful facilities like Prometheus and Hyperion, which together could reach 5 GW. The acquisition of Aligned, according to analysts, is a strategic move for the consortium of investors seeking to strengthen their positions in the dynamic AI infrastructure sector.
Gabelli Funds CEO Handy Susanto emphasizes that the deal demonstrates the “strength of the artificial intelligence ecosystem,” which unites the largest players in the industry. Investors, including the Kuwait Investment Authority and Temasek, plan to raise up to $100 billion in capital, including through credit resources, for further development of the AI Infrastructure Partnership projects.
Upon completion of the deal, which is expected in the first half of 2026, Aligned’s headquarters will remain in Dallas, and Andrew Schaap will continue as the company’s CEO.
In 2025, the tech sector continues to grow: recently, Google announced a $24 billion investment in the development of AI infrastructure in the U.S. and India, confirming the global trend towards expanding data processing capabilities.