An investment consortium, which includes NVIDIA, BlackRock, xAI, and Microsoft, has announced its acquisition of Aligned Data Centers in a deal valued at $40 billion. This move highlights the increasing competition to secure and expand the essential infrastructure required to support advanced artificial intelligence technologies. The consortium, known as the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), is making this its first investment, with an initial goal of deploying $30 billion in equity capital. Aligned Data Centers has a significant portfolio, including 50 campuses with over 5 gigawatts of operational and planned capacity across the United States and Latin America. The transaction is anticipated to be finalized in the first half of 2026.