AI infrastructure push: Nvidia, Microsoft join BlackRock-led group in $40 billion data center deal; computing power in focus

A consortium led by global asset manager BlackRock, along with chipmaker Nvidia and tech giant Microsoft, is set to acquire Aligned Data Centers from Australian financial services major Macquarie in a deal valued at around $40 billion.The acquisition underscores the tech sector’s escalating race to build artificial intelligence infrastructure — from chips and servers to large-scale data centers that power AI computing and storage needs.According to AFP, Aligned, founded in 2013, operates more than 50 data centers across the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, with a projected total capacity of over 5 gigawatts. Macquarie first invested in the Texas-based company in 2018 through its asset management arm and expanded its stake in 2020.The consortium — comprising BlackRock, Emirati sovereign tech fund MGX, and the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) — plans to use a mix of $30 billion in direct investments and leveraged debt to reach an overall investment capacity of $100 billion. AIP was set up in 2024 by BlackRock in partnership with MGX, Nvidia, and Microsoft.“The acquisition allows our clients to participate directly in the growth of AI,” BlackRock CEO and AIP Chairman Larry Fink said in a statement. MGX CEO Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, who also serves as AIP Vice Chairman, called it a milestone for an “era in which AI will fundamentally reengineer our economies and enable accelerated growth.”Completion of the transaction is expected in the first half of 2026, with equity distribution among partners yet to be disclosed.