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In a blockbuster move that underscores the global race to dominate artificial intelligence infrastructure, BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Nvidia, MGX, and other members of the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) announced Wednesday they will acquire Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management and co-investors in a deal valued at approximately $40 billion.

This acquisition, one of the largest in data center history, signals a strategic push to expand next-generation cloud and AI computing capabilities across the Americas.

A Powerful Coalition of AI Titans

AIP, the consortium behind the purchase, includes BlackRock, GIP, MGX, Microsoft, and Nvidia, with heavyweight backers such as the Kuwait Investment Authority and Temasek. According to the firms, this marks AIP’s first major investment—a debut that instantly places it at the forefront of the AI revolution.

The deal gives Aligned an implied enterprise value of $40 billion, surpassing Blackstone’s $16.2 billion AirTrunk purchase and making it the largest-ever acquisition of a data center operator.

Expanding the Backbone of AI

Dallas-based Aligned Data Centers operates 50 campuses with more than five gigawatts of total capacity across the U.S. and Latin America, including sites in Northern Virginia, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Ohio, Salt Lake City, São Paulo, Querétaro, and Santiago.

CEO Andrew Schaap and his leadership team will remain in place as the new ownership group injects capital and strategic guidance to accelerate growth, particularly in sustainable, high-density AI infrastructure.

Global Investors Bet Big on AI Growth

The acquisition aligns with a flurry of multi-billion-dollar AI infrastructure investments. Recently, Oracle engaged in talks with Meta for a $20 billion cloud computing deal, while Nvidia pledged a $100 billion staged investment in OpenAI.

“This partnership is bringing together leading companies and mobilizing private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global productivity,” said BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in the announcement.

AIP aims to deploy $30 billion in equity, potentially reaching $100 billion when factoring in debt financing.

From Two Sites to Fifty in Seven Years

Macquarie, which first invested in Aligned in 2018 and expanded its stake in 2020, praised the deal as validation of its early insight. “The scaling of Aligned Data Centers from two locations to fifty in seven years is representative of our approach to identifying key thematics early,” said Ben Way, Macquarie’s head of asset management.

Under Macquarie’s ownership, Aligned achieved the first-ever green data center securitization and sustainability-linked financing, setting new standards in environmentally conscious digital infrastructure.

Legal Powerhouses Behind the Deal

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is advising AIP, MGX, and GIP, while Latham & Watkins LLP represents the sellers, and Sterlington PLLC counsels Aligned’s management. Milbank LLP advises the Kuwait Investment Authority’s Wren House Infrastructure Management.

The transaction—pending regulatory approvals—is expected to close in the first half of 2026, cementing a new era in global AI infrastructure.