An investor group led by BlackRock, Microsoft, and Nvidia has agreed to acquire one of the world’s largest data center operators in a $40 billion deal aimed at securing critical computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. The acquisition targets a company with nearly 80 facilities globally, positioning the consortium to meet surging demand for high-performance computing power driven by AI development. The deal underscores the growing importance of data centers as strategic assets in the AI race, where access to reliable, scalable, and energy-efficient infrastructure is essential for training and deploying large-scale models. By combining the financial muscle of BlackRock, the cloud and AI expertise of Microsoft, and the hardware leadership of Nvidia, the group aims to create a dominant platform for AI-driven workloads. The acquired operator already hosts a significant portion of the global data center capacity used by tech firms, cloud providers, and AI startups. The purchase will allow the new ownership group to expand and optimize these facilities for AI-specific needs, including high-density server racks, advanced cooling systems, and direct access to power grids. This move comes amid intense competition among tech giants and investors to lock in data center capacity. As AI models grow more complex, the demand for compute power has skyrocketed, leading to a shortage of available space and rising prices. The deal reflects a broader trend of institutional investors and tech leaders investing directly in physical infrastructure to secure long-term advantages. The consortium plans to invest heavily in upgrading the acquired facilities, with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency—key concerns as data centers account for a growing share of global electricity consumption. The group also intends to prioritize partnerships with AI developers and cloud providers to ensure the facilities are ready for next-generation workloads. The transaction is expected to close in the coming months, subject to regulatory approvals. Once completed, it will create one of the largest and most strategically positioned data center networks in the world, tailored specifically to support the future of artificial intelligence.