BlackRock Inc.’s ($BLK) Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is in advanced negotiations to acquire Aligned Data Centers in a deal that could value the company at about $40 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The move highlights investor demand for digital infrastructure benefiting from the surge in artificial intelligence spending.
- Aligned Data Centers, backed by Macquarie, operates 78 facilities across the U.S. and South America and could fetch about $40 billion in the transaction.
- MGX, an AI investment vehicle linked to Mubadala Investment Co., is also expected to invest independently in the deal.
- GIP has separately considered acquiring power company AES Corp., valued at about $38 billion including debt, to capitalize on rising energy demand from AI-driven data centers.
- The transaction would rank among the five largest globally this year if finalized, per Bloomberg data.
- BlackRock shares have risen 13% year-to-date, giving the asset manager a market value of about $189 billion.
- Aligned previously secured $12 billion in commitments in January from investors led by Macquarie Asset Management.
- Recent large-scale infrastructure financings include Meta Platforms raising $29 billion for a Louisiana data center and Oracle issuing $18 billion in bonds for AI infrastructure expansion.
Relevant Companies
- $BLK — Parent of GIP, potentially expanding exposure to AI-driven infrastructure with a $40B acquisition.
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. This article may be updated as more details become available.
