MGX, AIP, and BlackRock Consortium to Acquire Aligned Data Centers in $40 Billion Deal

A global consortium comprising MGX, the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) announced on Thursday that it will acquire 100 per cent of Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management and its co-investors in a deal valued at approximately $40 billion.

The transaction ranks among the largest data infrastructure deals in history and is expected to accelerate the global expansion of next-generation cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

AIP — a collaboration between BlackRock, GIP, MGX, Microsoft, and NVIDIA — was established to expand AI computing capacity and support the rapid growth of digital economies powered by artificial intelligence. The partnership’s anchor investors include the Kuwait Investment Authority and Singapore’s Temasek.

Founded less than a decade ago, Aligned Data Centers has emerged as one of the fastest-growing data infrastructure companies in the world. It designs and operates large-scale data campuses for hyperscalers, cloud service providers, and enterprise clients. The company currently operates or has projects under development across more than 50 campuses in the US and Latin America, with over 5 gigawatts of total planned capacity. Key markets include Northern Virginia, Dallas, Phoenix, São Paulo, Querétaro, and Santiago.

Under the leadership of CEO Andrew Schaap, Aligned has prioritised energy-efficient and high-density data infrastructure. The company’s proprietary air, liquid, and hybrid cooling technologies have positioned it as a leader in sustainable data operations. Schaap and his management team will continue to lead the company from its Dallas headquarters following the acquisition.

The consortium said the investment brings together AIP’s ability to mobilise large-scale capital, MGX’s AI-driven investment strategy, and GIP’s experience in managing critical infrastructure assets. The capital infusion will enable Aligned to scale its operations further, expand capacity, and advance sustainable, high-performance computing solutions.

Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock and chairman of AIP, said the deal represents a milestone in global AI development. “This partnership brings together leading companies and mobilises private capital to accelerate AI innovation and drive global economic growth,” he said. “With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI.”

MGX CEO and AIP vice chairman Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi said AI was driving a “new economic era,” with large-scale computing infrastructure becoming “foundational to that progress.”

Bayo Ogunlesi, chairman and CEO of GIP, added that the acquisition would help “build the infrastructure to support innovation at scale,” while Schaap said the consortium’s backing would allow Aligned to “scale faster, innovate further, and redefine what’s possible in sustainable data center infrastructure.”

The transaction marks AIP’s first major investment and a cornerstone of its strategy to deploy up to $30 billion in equity capital — potentially rising to $100 billion when including debt. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.