KKR, Singtel seek to fully own Singapore data centre firm in $3.9 billion deal, sources say

By Yantoultra Ngui and Kane Wu

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) -KKR ​& Co and Singapore Telecommunications ‌are in advanced talks to buy more than 80% ‌of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres – which would give them full ownership – for over S$5 billion ($3.9 billion),⁠ two people ‌with direct knowledge of the plans said.

KKR currently owns about 14% of ‍the firm while Singtel has a stake of more than 4%. The rest of the company ​is held by ST Telemedia, which ‌is wholly owned by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings.

KKR and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres declined to comment. ST Telemedia and Singtel did not immediately respond to Reuters queries.

If successful, ⁠the deal would rank among ​Asia’s biggest data centre ​transactions, with the boom in artificial intelligence creating soaring demand for digital ‍infrastructure. ⁠ The sources declined to be identified as the matter is private.

⁠(Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui in Singapore and Kane Wu ‌in Hong Kong; Editing by Sumeet ‌Chatterjee and Edwina Gibbs)