Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, is preparing to establish a publicly traded company focused on acquiring data centers as part of its broader strategy to expand its footprint in artificial intelligence infrastructure. According to reports published by Bloomberg, the New York based investment firm is considering the creation of an acquisition vehicle that would allow a wider pool of investors to gain exposure to data center assets linked to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence technologies. The proposed structure would provide individual investors with access to a sector that has largely been dominated by institutional capital and sovereign wealth funds.
Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Blackstone is initially approaching sovereign wealth funds and large institutions before expanding outreach to a broader base of investors, with ambitions to raise tens of billions of dollars. The vehicle is expected to focus on acquiring existing, income generating data centers that are already leased, rather than pursuing speculative development projects or land banking strategies. This approach reflects a preference for stabilized assets with predictable cash flows, particularly at a time when demand for artificial intelligence processing capacity continues to accelerate across global markets.
Blackstone currently manages approximately 77 billion dollars in infrastructure assets, with its portfolio including QTS, one of the largest data center operators worldwide. Beyond QTS, the firm has made additional digital infrastructure investments, recognizing data centers and their associated power requirements as a key asset class. In January, Chief Executive Officer Stephen Schwarzman told Wall Street analysts that digital infrastructure has been among the largest drivers of appreciation within Blackstone’s funds, underscoring the growing importance of artificial intelligence related assets in institutional portfolios. The sustained rise in cloud computing, artificial intelligence workloads, and enterprise data storage has increased investor interest in facilities capable of supporting high density computing environments.
The asset manager has also expanded its data center ambitions internationally. In July, Northumberland County Council in the North East of England approved Blackstone’s plans for a 10 billion pound data center campus at the site of a former battery storage development. The firm completed its acquisition of the former BritishVolt site in Cambois in 2024 and later unveiled plans for a 10 building scheme at the location. The proposed publicly traded vehicle would complement these large scale developments by enabling broader participation in digital infrastructure ownership. Blackstone declined to comment publicly on the reported plans, but the move signals the firm’s continued emphasis on data centers as a central pillar of its artificial intelligence investment strategy.
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