**Microsoft-Led Consortium Plans $40 Billion Acquisition of Aligned Data Centers to Boost AI Infrastructure**
An artificial intelligence infrastructure consortium led by Microsoft Corp., Nvidia Corp., and BlackRock Inc. today announced plans to acquire Aligned Data Centers LLC in a deal valued at approximately $40 billion. This transaction ranks among the largest acquisitions of data centers ever, aimed at securing vast and highly coveted AI computing capacity for the consortium’s members.
Known as the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), the consortium was formed last year by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners unit, Abu Dhabi’s state-backed investment group MGX, and Microsoft. Nvidia and Elon Musk’s xAI Corp. joined the partnership in March, along with Singapore-based Temasek Holdings Ltd. and the Kuwait Investment Authority.
Founded in 2013, Aligned Data Centers has emerged as a major beneficiary of the AI infrastructure spending boom. The company operates numerous colocation data centers that rent capacity to customers, in addition to building data center facilities for hyperscale and enterprise clients. Currently, it runs data centers in Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Northern Virginia, with new sites under construction in Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia.
Aligned also maintains a significant presence in Latin America, having acquired OData in May 2023. This acquisition brought facilities in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico under its umbrella. Furthermore, Aligned is an investor in Canadian data center operator QScale SEC, expanding its footprint into Canada as well.
In total, Aligned operates 50 data centers worldwide, boasting five gigawatts of compute capacity. Earlier this year, in January, the company received a $12 billion capital boost, including $5 billion in primary equity from its current parent company Macquarie Asset Management LLC and $7 billion in new debt commitments.
Aligned’s customers include notable companies such as data center software provider Nutanix Inc. and information technology services firm Datto Inc.
The AIP consortium emphasized that the acquisition will accelerate its mission of “advancing the infrastructure and innovation needed to power the future of AI.”
“With AIP, MGX, and GIP’s global reach, extensive resources, and deep expertise across AI, energy, and finance, we are poised to scale faster, innovate further, and redefine what’s possible in sustainable data center infrastructure,” said Andrew Schaap, Chief Executive of Aligned Data Centers.
This acquisition exemplifies how major technology companies are investing billions into the infrastructure necessary to support their AI innovations. Industry giants such as Alphabet Inc. (Google’s parent company), Meta Platforms Inc., CoreWeave Inc., Oracle Corp., and Microsoft have collectively committed more than $400 billion this year towards AI data center development.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has partnered with Oracle and SoftBank Group Corp. on the ambitious $500 billion Stargate initiative, which aims to establish a cluster of data centers across the United States. Additionally, the ChatGPT creator has entered agreements with Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., and Broadcom Inc. potentially worth over $1 trillion, designed to secure AI accelerators essential for these data centers. The combined capacity of these facilities is expected to reach approximately 26 gigawatts.
Meta Platforms also plans several new U.S. data centers, including a recently announced $1.5 billion facility in Texas and a massive complex in Louisiana named “Hyperion.” Hyperion is projected to provide five gigawatts of capacity when it becomes fully operational in 2030.
**Photo:** Aligned Data Centers
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*Stay tuned for more updates on AI infrastructure developments and the technology investments shaping the future.*
https://siliconangle.com/2025/10/15/microsoft-nvidia-backed-ai-consortium-buys-aligned-data-centers-40b/
