Nvidia, Microsoft, and BlackRock Join Forces to Acquire $40 Billion Aligned Data Centers

In a landmark transaction valued at $40 billion, a global investor consortium led by NVIDIA, Microsoft, BlackRock, and Elon Musk’s xAI has agreed to acquire Texas-based Aligned Data Centers. Confirmed on Wednesday, this deal marks a significant milestone in the global data infrastructure market and represents the first major investment by the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP). Established last year, AIP is a fund designed to channel capital into large-scale data and energy assets underpinning the AI economy. The consortium plans to use its initial equity commitments to expand Aligned’s capacity across the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and Chile.

The original founding members include BlackRock, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and MGX, an entity backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund. Since its inception, the partnership has expanded to include Singapore’s Temasek, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and Elon Musk’s xAI, positioning AIP as a dedicated entity focused on digital infrastructure. According to a joint statement released on Wednesday, the consortium will acquire 100% of Aligned’s equity from its current owner, Macquarie Asset Management, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of next year.

Aligned Data Centers, currently owned by Macquarie Asset Management, specializes in designing, building, and operating hyperscale data centers and energy-efficient campuses across North and South America. Its total operational and planned capacity exceeds 5 gigawatts—enough to power millions of households. Aligned’s facilities are strategically located in major cloud and network hubs, including Northern Virginia, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, as well as growing markets in Latin America such as São Paulo, Querétaro, and Santiago.

“This transaction highlights Macquarie Asset Management’s consistent ability to identify key themes early and seek opportunities to create value for clients and partners,” said Ben Weir, Head of Macquarie Asset Management. “Aligned Data Centers has grown from two locations to 50 within seven years, demonstrating our approach of working with outstanding companies and teams to support their rapid growth and deliver positive impact.”

As for AIP, it was formed in response to what major investors describe as a structural shortage in computing infrastructure—the physical backbone needed to support generative AI models, machine learning workloads, and cloud services. The partnership combines capital from sovereign wealth funds, private equity, and leading tech firms with operational expertise from data center specialists and energy providers. In addition to financial investors, industrial companies such as Cisco Systems, GE Vernova, and NextEra Energy are reportedly providing advisory or technical support for AIP projects, including power distribution, cooling, and grid integration systems.

This $40 billion acquisition comes amid an unprecedented wave of investment in computing power by major technology companies. NVIDIA, which dominates the AI accelerator market, has seen its hardware become a bottleneck for global AI expansion. The company is now directly investing in data center projects alongside partners to secure long-term access to power and space. Last month, OpenAI and NVIDIA announced a $100 billion plan to build up to 10 gigawatts of dedicated data center capacity for training next-generation AI models. At the same time, OpenAI entered a $6 billion AI chip supply agreement with AMD, giving it the option to acquire up to a 10% stake in the chipmaker.