BlackRock invests $40 billion in one of the largest data center operators

An investor group comprising BlackRock, Microsoft, and Nvidia has announced the acquisition of Aligned Data Centers, one of the world’s largest data center operators, for $40 billion.

The seller is Australia’s Macquarie Asset Management.

As part of the deal, Aligned Data Centers will become part of the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership, a consortium that BlackRock created with GIP, Microsoft, and MGX for large-scale investments in data centers, energy, and infrastructure for AI. 

According to the company, the goal of the partnership is to raise $30 billion in capital to finance projects with a total value of up to $100 billion.

The acquisition of Aligned Data Centers was another step in the wave of large-scale investments in AI infrastructure. According to Morgan Stanley estimates, leading technology companies Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and CoreWeave will spend approximately $400 billion on the development of data centers and AI capabilities in 2025.

Investments in AI

OpenAI, a key player in the artificial intelligence market, recently signed agreements with chip manufacturers NVIDIA, AMD, Oracle, CoreWeave, and Broadcom worth over $1 trillion.

These agreements provide for approximately 26 gigawatts of power, enough to power 20 million American households.

OpenAI recently announced that it would buy 10% of chip manufacturer AMD after signing an agreement with its competitor NVIDIA. The companies did not disclose the total amount of the deal.  

Read more: Samsung forecasts highest profits in three years as demand for AI drives up chip prices