World Record Deal: Aligned Data Centers Acquired for $40bn

Aligned Data Centers (Aligned) is set to be acquired in a landmark US$40bn deal backed by some of the world’s most powerful technology and investment firms. The acquisition highlights the escalating value of hyperscale and AI-ready data centre infrastructure in the global digital economy.

The consortium leading the deal includes Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, MGX of Abu Dhabi, Elon Musk’s xAI and the Kuwait Investment Authority. 

The companies will acquire Aligned from Macquarie Asset Management through the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

“Partnering with the Consortium will accelerate our mission to deliver the infrastructure powering tomorrow’s digital economy,” says Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned Data Centers. 

“With AIP, MGX and GIP’s global reach, extensive resources and deep expertise across AI, energy and finance, we are poised to scale faster, innovate further and redefine what’s possible in sustainable data centre infrastructure.”

The transaction represents the largest data centre acquisition ever announced, underscoring the sector’s central role in enabling AI growth worldwide.

Strategic investment in AI infrastructure

The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership was launched in September 2024 by BlackRock, MGX, Microsoft and Nvidia to accelerate global investment in AI infrastructure. The group’s focus is on developing the energy, connectivity and compute ecosystems needed to power trillion-parameter AI models and future cloud applications.

The Aligned acquisition is AIP’s first major investment and marks a significant milestone in its plan to deploy US$30bn of equity capital to support next-generation compute and digital infrastructure. The move aligns with a wave of consolidation and capital deployment in the hyperscale market as investors seek to capture the demand created by rapid AI adoption.

“AIP is positioned to meet the growing demand for the infrastructure required as AI continues to reshape the global economy,” says Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock and Chairman of AIP.

“This partnership is bringing together leading companies and mobilising private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global economic growth and productivity. With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI, while offering our clients attractive opportunities to participate in its growth.”

AI is reshaping infrastructure investment priorities. Data centres, once viewed as background utilities, have become critical assets underpinning the global economy, with investors pouring billions into new capacity, energy resilience and interconnectivity.

Bayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock, said: “AI is reshaping every sector of the global economy. By combining Aligned’s scalable, adaptable platform with AIP’s capital and capabilities, we will build the infrastructure to support innovation at scale – creating resilient, sustainable communities and unlocking transformative growth worldwide.”

A new era for Aligned Data Centers

Aligned designs and operates data centres as well as hyperscale campuses across North and South America. The company currently operates 50 data centre campuses, with over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity. Its modular approach allows for rapid deployment while maintaining efficiency, flexibility and sustainability – qualities that are increasingly vital for clients managing AI workloads.

Founded in 2013 with a focus on reducing energy consumption and water usage, Aligned has built a reputation for innovation in sustainable data centre design. Its patented cooling technology and adaptive infrastructure make it particularly suited to the power-intensive requirements of AI compute clusters. These capabilities have positioned Aligned as a key partner for hyperscalers, enterprises and cloud providers seeking scalable, low-latency facilities across major digital markets.

Once completed, the deal will transfer full ownership of Aligned to the consortium. Regulatory approval and other standard closing conditions are expected to be finalised by late 2026. The acquisition will also provide Aligned with significant capital to continue expanding across the Americas and potentially beyond, supporting demand from both public cloud providers and AI-focused enterprises.

The scale of AI-driven demand

The US$40bn price tag reflects not only Aligned’s current footprint but also the strategic value of its development pipeline and its potential to enable hyperscale AI compute globally. With demand for compute capacity surging, data centres are becoming the backbone of the AI revolution.

The partnership behind the investment could catalyse major new data centre capacity in the years ahead.

“We are entering a new era in which AI will fundamentally reengineer our economies and enable accelerated growth,” says Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, CEO of MGX. “Compute infrastructure at scale will be foundational to that progress. Our investment in Aligned Data Centers will direct scalable capital to an operator built for efficiency and growth, with the mission to deliver the infrastructure needed to support global AI adoption.”

AI workloads are increasingly power-hungry, requiring dense GPU clusters and advanced cooling systems that can sustain massive training models. According to industry estimates, global data centre power demand could more than double by 2030, driven largely by AI and machine learning applications. 

Companies such as OpenAI, CoreWeave and Oracle are already scaling aggressively to meet this demand, forging partnerships with data centre developers and infrastructure investors to secure long-term capacity.

The involvement of Nvidia and Microsoft – two companies at the forefront of AI innovation – in this deal demonstrates the deepening link between infrastructure and technology. Their participation not only signals confidence in Aligned’s operational model but also reflects the broader trend of technology companies moving upstream to ensure access to physical compute infrastructure.

Setting a new benchmark for the industry

For Aligned, the acquisition by AIP and its partners represents a defining moment. Backed by deep financial resources and industry expertise, the company will be positioned to scale faster, expand into new geographies and pursue more ambitious sustainability targets.

The transaction also sets a new benchmark for valuation and ambition in the global data centre sector, signalling how integral these facilities have become to national economies, digital sovereignty and AI development.

As the deal progresses toward completion next year, it reinforces the growing convergence between finance, technology and infrastructure. Data centres are no longer just storage and compute hubs – they are now the strategic enablers of the AI-driven future.