Bloomberg Intelligence BlackRock Nears $40 Billion Data Center Deal in Bet on AI
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Oct 3, 2025 Jody Lurie, a Bloomberg Intelligence credit analyst specializing in the cruise industry, shares insights on consumer demand and booking trends. She highlights the strong return of cruisers and increased onboard spending, yet flags potential dips in demand by 2026. Lurie discusses the balance between new ship construction and debt reduction and examines varying pricing strategies among cruise lines. Her analysis sheds light on how market dynamics could impact future profitability and customer acquisition, raising questions about brand differentiation in a competitive landscape.
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Big Private Capital Move Into Data Centers
- BlackRock's GIP is reportedly negotiating to buy Aligned Data Centers as part of a broader push into AI infrastructure.
- The deal signals investors see data center real estate and utilities as a multi-trillion-dollar expansion of AI spend.
AI Demand Expands Beyond Chips
- AI demand extends beyond chips to construction, power, cooling and land, expanding total addressable market significantly.
- Ed Ludlow estimates compute demand numbers that grow the market from roughly $4 trillion to about $7 trillion when infrastructure is included.
Private Equity Signals AI Peak Questions
- Private equity interest in real estate assets like data centers may reflect a late-cycle or bubbly enthusiasm around AI.
- Participants warn this could be a "bubble that will pay off" — big capital flows with uncertain long-term returns.