BlackRock Plugs Into AI With a $40 Billion Power Surge
A $40 billion bet positions BlackRock at the center of AI’s digital infrastructure boom.

BlackRock Inc. is moving deeper into the digital future with one of its boldest bets yet. Its Global Infrastructure Partners arm is in advanced talks to acquire Aligned Data Centers, a Plano, Texas-based operator with sprawling assets across the Americas. The deal, valued at about $40 billion, would instantly rank among the largest transactions of the year and signal how aggressively investors are positioning themselves to capitalize on the artificial intelligence revolution.
Aligned is no small player. With 50 campuses and 78 data centers under management and development, it has become a central figure in the industry’s rapid expansion. Earlier this year, the company secured $12 billion in equity and debt commitments from investors including Macquarie, underlining the confidence the market has in its growth. Aligned has also been at the table in Washington, meeting with officials about speeding up the buildout of AI infrastructure, showing its influence extends beyond just bricks and servers.
The deal also brings in Mubadala Investment Co. through its AI-focused vehicle MGX, which has been exploring up to $25 billion in fundraising for AI infrastructure. Mubadala already has exposure to Aligned, but its fresh participation in this deal would strengthen ties with BlackRock and reinforce its broader bet that data centers will define the future of computing.
