Record-breaking acquisition of Aligned Data Centers marks bold global push to secure AI infrastructure capacity

An investor consortium featuring Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, Nvidia, BlackRock, and Microsoft has announced a landmark US$40 billion (S$51.8 billion) deal to acquire Aligned Data Centers, one of the world’s largest data infrastructure operators. The record-breaking transaction highlights a new global race to secure computing power essential for the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

World’s Largest AI Data Centre Deal

The acquisition of Texas-based Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management marks the biggest-ever global data centre transaction. The company currently operates 50 campuses across the US and South America, managing 78 facilities with over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity.

This purchase is also the first transaction under the newly formed AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), an investment group established in 2024 that brings together heavyweight backers including Temasek, Abu Dhabi’s MGX fund, Kuwait Investment Authority, and Elon Musk’s xAI.

“With this investment, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI,” said Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock and chairman of AIP.

Race to Secure AI Computing Power

The deal underscores the intense global competition for AI infrastructure. According to Morgan Stanley, major tech firms such as Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and CoreWeave are collectively expected to spend around US$400 billion on AI infrastructure in 2025 alone.

Start-ups like OpenAI are also signing multibillion-dollar agreements with chipmakers Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom, potentially surpassing US$1 trillion in commitments to secure 26 gigawatts of AI computing power — equivalent to powering 20 million US homes.

“Investors are looking at rapid expansion to meet AI demand and optimize for it,” said Joe Tigay, portfolio manager at Nvidia shareholder Equity Armor Investments.

Aligned’s Rise as an AI Powerhouse

Founded in 2013, Aligned Data Centers has become one of the largest private beneficiaries of the AI boom. Earlier in 2025, it raised US$12 billion in equity and debt, one of the biggest private financing rounds in the data centre sector. Its clients include cloud computing provider Nutanix and IT services firm Datto.

Macquarie, which invested in Aligned in 2018, said the company’s extensive land and power portfolio strategically positions it to serve AI-driven hyperscale demand across key US and Latin American markets.

Investment Scale and Market Impact

The AI Infrastructure Partnership plans to deploy US$30 billion in equity with the potential to scale up to US$100 billion including debt. While the partners have not disclosed individual contributions, the consortium’s size and composition signal growing investor appetite for AI infrastructure assets.

Shares of listed peers such as Applied Digital have surged more than fourfold in 2025, reflecting market confidence in the sector. Applied Digital’s stock jumped 5% on Oct 15 following news of the Aligned acquisition.

Global Strategic Significance

The acquisition further cements the convergence between sovereign wealth funds, big tech firms, and institutional investors in shaping the next generation of digital infrastructure. For Singapore’s Temasek, the deal aligns with its long-term strategy of investing in technology and sustainability-driven growth sectors.

Aligned will continue to operate from Dallas, Texas, under CEO Andrew Schaap, with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2026.

The Temasek-Nvidia-BlackRock-led acquisition of Aligned Data Centers marks a defining moment in the global AI arms race. As tech giants and investors vie for computing dominance, this record US$40 billion deal underscores how data centres have become the new gold mines of the digital age — powering innovation, national strategies, and the AI future itself.

Sources: Straits Times (2025) , The Business Times (2025)

Keywords: Temasek Holdings, Nvidia, Aligned Data Centers, AI Infrastructure, Data Centre Deal, BlackRock