BlackRock’s GIP Nears $40 Billion Deal in AI Data Center Push

BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners is in late-stage talks to scoop up Aligned Data Centers for about $40 billion, people familiar with the matter said. The Macquarie-backed data center operator, with more than 100 facilities running or planned across the Americas, has become a prime beneficiary of the AI buildout. A deal this size would be among the year’s top five globally, underscoring just how fast money is moving into the digital backbone of artificial intelligence.

The bid also pulls in MGX, an AI infrastructure fund tied to Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, adding another heavyweight to the rush. Ever since ChatGPT ignited the frenzy, investors have showered capital on everything from Nvidia chips to startup unicorns like OpenAI. Data centers, the concrete-and-copper heart of it all, are now commanding eye-watering price tags that are drawing warnings of a potential bubble, with skeptics questioning whether AI revenues can keep pace with the speculative boom.