BlackRock Subsidiary GIP Set to Acquire Aligned Data Centers in $40 Billion Deal
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BlackRock subsidiary buys up 78 data centers totaling 5 gigawatts in $40 billion deal -- AI vendor Aligned added to company's portfolio
BlackRock is expanding its membership in the club of AI datacenter investors. Another day, another blimp with billions flying the skies of AI. Today's currency transfer comes from BlackRock subsidiary Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an investment fund set to write a big check to buy out Aligned Data Centers, a large AI datacenter company. Bloomberg cites sources with knowledge of the deal and pins the amount at a tidy $40 billion. Aligned may not be a household name in tech news, but according to its website, the company has 78 datacenters in locations around the U.S. and South America, totaling 5 GW of processing power capacity across current and future developments. Bloomberg remarks that Aligned got a $12 billion investment in January and was one of the companies that recently met with President Trump about speeding up the country's AI development. Aligned is also attracting attention from investor AGX (backed by Mubadala Investment Co.), which apparently wants to cut a separate deal with the datacenter provider. The report remarks that the deal is set to be inked in a few days, but is not yet finalized. However, it's hard to imagine the agreement being called off in this age, where AI businesses' exponential growth has every investor under the sun tossing money at the prospect of massive short-term lucre. The $40 billion in play makes this deal one of the biggest this year, though it's still early October, and it wouldn't be surprising to see other large bets in short order. Upon completion of the deal, Aligned would be joining CyrusOne in GIP's AI datacenter portfolio. The fund's many-paged checkbook isn't going back in the drawer anytime soon, either; it's reportedly considering buying out power company AES Corp. If this news sounds familiar, it's because it's reminiscent of datacenter provider CoreWeave getting a $6.4 billion infusion from OpenAI just recently. As for Sam Altman's company, it's been cutting deals like crazy, the biggest ones a $300 billion contract with Oracle, and a $100 billion partnership with Nvidia for building 10 GW's worth of datacenters.
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GIP nears deal to buy Aligned Data Centers for about $40 billion, Bloomberg News reports
Oct 2 (Reuters) - BlackRock-owned (BLK.N), opens new tab Global Infrastructure Partners is in advanced talks to acquire Macquarie-backed (MQG.AX), opens new tab Aligned Data Centers in a deal valuing the technology infrastructure company at $40 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The companies have yet to finalize a deal, but an agreement could be announced within days, Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the matter. Mubadala, an investor in Aligned and a backer of MGX, an Abu Dhabi AI investment firm, is also involved in the talks and would invest independently as part of the transaction, the report said. Blackrock declined to comment on the report. GIP, Aligned, Macquarie, and Mubadala did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The enormous uptake of AI, both in business and personal use, has prompted a host of companies to invest in AI data centers. McKinsey estimates those investments to reach $6.7 trillion by 2030 to meet computing power demand. Texas-based Aligned, which specializes in AI-related infrastructure, raised more than $12 billion in January. Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
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Global Infrastructure Partners, a BlackRock subsidiary, is nearing a deal to acquire Aligned Data Centers for approximately $40 billion. This acquisition marks a significant investment in AI infrastructure and data center capacity.
BlackRock Subsidiary Poised for Major AI Infrastructure Acquisition
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a subsidiary of investment giant BlackRock, is on the verge of acquiring Aligned Data Centers in a deal valued at approximately $40 billion. This potential acquisition marks one of the largest investments in AI infrastructure this year, highlighting the growing importance of data centers in the rapidly expanding AI industry
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.The Scale of the Deal
Aligned Data Centers, while not a household name, boasts an impressive portfolio of 78 data centers across the United States and South America. These facilities represent a combined processing power capacity of 5 gigawatts (GW), encompassing both current and future developments
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. The sheer scale of this acquisition underscores the critical role that data centers play in supporting the exponential growth of AI technologies.Recent Investments and Strategic Importance
The deal comes on the heels of Aligned's $12 billion investment round in January, demonstrating the company's rapid growth and attractiveness to investors
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. Aligned's strategic importance in the AI landscape is further evidenced by its recent meeting with President Trump to discuss accelerating AI development in the United States1
.Key Players and Additional Investments
The acquisition is not just limited to GIP and Aligned. Mubadala Investment Co., through its backing of AGX, is reportedly looking to make a separate investment in Aligned as part of this transaction
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. This multi-faceted deal structure highlights the complex web of investors eager to capitalize on the AI boom.Related Stories
Industry Context and Future Outlook
This acquisition is part of a broader trend of massive investments in AI infrastructure. It follows closely on the heels of other significant deals, such as CoreWeave's $6.4 billion investment from OpenAI, and OpenAI's own $300 billion contract with Oracle and $100 billion partnership with Nvidia
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.The AI industry's explosive growth is driving unprecedented demand for computing power. McKinsey estimates that investments in AI data centers could reach $6.7 trillion by 2030 to meet this surging demand
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. As companies race to build and acquire AI infrastructure, we can expect to see more large-scale investments and acquisitions in the near future.Implications for BlackRock and the AI Landscape
For BlackRock and GIP, this acquisition significantly expands their footprint in the AI data center space. Aligned would join CyrusOne in GIP's growing portfolio of AI infrastructure assets
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. This move positions BlackRock to capitalize on the long-term growth potential of AI technologies and the critical infrastructure that supports them.As the deal nears completion, it serves as a testament to the immense value placed on AI infrastructure in today's tech-driven economy. The acquisition of Aligned Data Centers by GIP could reshape the competitive landscape of AI infrastructure providers and accelerate the development of AI technologies across various industries.
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