BlackRock, Microsoft, and Nvidia Lead $40B Deal for Aligned Data Centers

Macquarie’s sale of Aligned Data Centers to a BlackRock-led consortium signals the industrialization of AI as capital shifts from software to infrastructure to fuel AI growth.

Data center fever hits a new high as the race to define the future of enterprise AI continues to heat up.

Macquarie Asset Management has agreed to sell Aligned Data Centers to a consortium led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners, along with the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), MGX, Microsoft, and Nvidia, in a deal valued at $40 billion.

“This transaction underscores Macquarie Asset Management’s ability to consistently identify key thematics early and find opportunities that create value for our clients and partners,” said Ben Way, head of Macquarie Asset Management, in a statement announcing the deal. “The scaling of Aligned Data Centers from two locations to 50 in seven years is representative of our approach to working ...