MGX, AIP, and BlackRock’s GIP to Buy Aligned Data Centers for $40B
▼ Summary
– MGX, AIP, and BlackRock’s GIP will acquire 100% of Aligned Data Centers, implying an enterprise value of approximately $40 billion.
– This transaction is AIP’s first investment and a step toward its goal of mobilizing and deploying $30 billion in equity capital.
– The acquisition aims to expand next-generation cloud and AI infrastructure to support global AI adoption and economic growth.
– Aligned Data Centers operates 50 campuses with over 5 gigawatts of capacity across key regions in the U.S. and Latin America.
– The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
A landmark $40 billion acquisition is set to reshape the digital infrastructure landscape, with a powerful consortium including MGX, the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) agreeing to purchase Aligned Data Centers in full. This deal assigns an enterprise value of roughly $40 billion to Aligned, a company renowned for its rapid growth and advanced data center solutions. The transaction represents the inaugural investment for AIP, marking a significant move toward its initial goal of mobilizing and deploying $30 billion in equity capital.
Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, Managing Director and CEO of MGX, emphasized the strategic importance of the acquisition. He stated that we are witnessing the dawn of a new economic era fundamentally redesigned by artificial intelligence. Scalable computing infrastructure sits at the very core of this progress. Investing in Aligned Data Centers allows the consortium to channel substantial capital toward an operator engineered for both efficiency and expansion, with a clear mission to supply the foundational infrastructure required for worldwide AI adoption.
The AIP itself was established by a formidable alliance of BlackRock, GIP, MGX, Microsoft, and NVIDIA with the explicit purpose of expanding AI infrastructure capacity. Its financial backing includes anchor investors like the Kuwait Investment Authority and Temasek. In under ten years, Aligned Data Centers has grown into a global leader, designing, constructing, and operating state-of-the-art data campuses for the world’s top hyperscalers and enterprise innovators. Its impressive portfolio encompasses 50 campuses and over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity, strategically located in major digital gateway regions across the United States and Latin America.
Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, highlighted how AIP is uniquely positioned to address the soaring demand for infrastructure driven by AI’s transformative effect on the global economy. He explained that this partnership unites leading corporations and mobilizes private capital to speed up AI innovation, thereby fueling worldwide economic growth and productivity. The investment in Aligned Data Centers directly advances the goal of providing the essential infrastructure to power AI’s future, while simultaneously creating compelling opportunities for clients to engage in this high-growth sector.
Leadership at Aligned Data Centers will remain under CEO Andrew Schaap and the existing management team, whose strong execution has been instrumental to the company’s rapid ascent. The company has consistently demonstrated an ability to meet the complex demands of hyperscalers, working collaboratively with customers to innovate around their evolving requirements. Aligned’s proprietary cooling technologies, including its patented and patent-pending air, liquid, and hybrid systems, provide exceptional adaptability for high-density AI workloads, even in areas with limited power availability.
Andrew Schaap expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, noting that joining forces with the consortium will dramatically accelerate their mission to deliver the infrastructure that will power the future digital economy. He pointed to the global reach, extensive resources, and deep expertise in AI, energy, and finance that AIP, MGX, and GIP bring to the table, positioning Aligned to scale more rapidly, push innovation further, and redefine the standards for sustainable data center infrastructure.
This acquisition also brings together the consortium’s profound expertise across AI and digital infrastructure. AIP offers strategic partnerships and an ability to form capital at an immense scale, MGX contributes a leading global investment focus on AI and advanced technologies, and GIP adds a long and successful track record as a premier infrastructure investor. The collective investment will provide Aligned with the capital and strategic support necessary to accelerate its growth and meet the escalating demand for scalable, sustainable digital infrastructure.
Bayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock, commented on the transformative potential of AI across all economic sectors. He stated that by uniting Aligned’s scalable and adaptable platform with AIP’s capital and capabilities, the consortium will construct the infrastructure needed to support innovation on a massive scale. This effort aims to create resilient, sustainable communities and unlock transformative growth across the globe.
As the first investment for AIP, this transaction is a crucial step toward its initial target of mobilizing $30 billion in equity, with the potential to reach $100 billion when including debt. With its strong customer relationships, strategic presence in key digital hubs, and a proven management team, Aligned Data Centers is perfectly positioned to serve as the cornerstone for AIP’s vision of the future of AI infrastructure. The deal is anticipated to be finalized in the first half of 2026, pending standard regulatory approvals and closing conditions.
(Source: Economy Middle East)
