Huan Qiu Wang·2025-10-16 02:08Group 1 - The investment consortium AIP, formed by BlackRock, Microsoft, and Nvidia, announced plans to acquire data center operator Aligned for approximately $40 billion [1][2] - The acquisition aims to meet the growing demand for data center infrastructure driven by the rapid development of AI technology, while providing attractive long-term returns for investors [2] - The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026, with Aligned continuing to be led by its current CEO Andrew Schaap [2] Group 2 - This acquisition is a significant event in the ongoing wave of large-scale mergers and acquisitions among tech companies fueled by the AI boom [3] - Major tech companies, including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and CoreWeave, are projected to spend a total of $400 billion on AI infrastructure this year [3] - OpenAI has recently entered into agreements with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom, with estimated total transaction values exceeding $1 trillion, targeting around 26 gigawatts of computing capacity [3]