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Nvidia, Microsoft, and BlackRock Lead $40 Billion Takeover of Aligned Data Centers

By  |  October 15, 2025

A global consortium including Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, and Elon Musk’s xAI has reached an agreement to acquire Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion, according to CNBC. The transaction marks what Aligned’s current owner, Macquarie Asset Management, calls the largest data center acquisition in history.

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    Aligned, which operates 50 data campuses across North and South America, has more than 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity. The purchase underscores the intensifying competition among major technology firms to secure infrastructure capable of supporting artificial intelligence systems and the growing computational demands of modern industries.

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    Per CNBC, the deal involves a group of investors that includes Abu Dhabi’s MGX, BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners, and members of the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP). This partnership—founded in September 2024 by BlackRock, MGX, Microsoft, and Nvidia—aims to drive large-scale investments in AI-related infrastructure. Additional investors such as the Kuwait Investment Authority, xAI, and Temasek have since joined the initiative.

    Related: $100 Billion Nvidia-OpenAI Alliance Raises Antitrust Concerns

    The Aligned acquisition represents AIP’s first major move, with the group targeting the deployment of up to $30 billion in equity capital. BlackRock CEO and AIP Chairman Larry Fink said the investment supports their goal of delivering the infrastructure required to power the future of AI while offering clients opportunities to participate in its expansion.

    According to CNBC, the global race to develop AI infrastructure has accelerated in recent months as companies like OpenAI, Nvidia, CoreWeave, and Oracle push to secure data center capacity and energy resources. These facilities—critical for running large-scale AI workloads and training advanced models—have become central to technological and economic development.

    The transaction is expected to close by the end of next year, pending regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.

    Source: CNBC