EA agrees $55bn record-breaking sale to Saudi PIF, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Firm

September 30, 2025 • 0 • min read

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EA agrees $55bn record-breaking sale to Saudi PIF, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Firm

Electronic Arts (EA), the gaming giant behind titles like FIFA successor EA Sports FC, The Sims and Battlefield, is set to be taken private in a record-breaking $55 billion buyout.

The consortium of buyers includes Saudi Arabia's powerful Public Investment Fund (PIF), private equity firm Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners - the investment firm led by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

At $210 per share, the deal places a 25 percent premium on EA's market value, making it the largest leveraged buyout in history and the second most valuable gaming acquisition ever, trailing only Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in 2023.

EA Goes Private After 36 Years on Stock Market

The agreement will see EA's public shares purchased in full, removing it from stock market trading for the first time since its IPO in 1989.

EA CEO Andrew Wilson, who will remain in his role, called the deal "a powerful recognition" of the publisher's legacy and future.

Together with our partners, we will create transformative experiences to inspire generations to come.

The firms involved will contribute around $36 billion in equity, with the remaining $20 billion financed through debt - sparking industry concern that EA's blockbuster franchises like EA Sports FC, Madden NFL and Battlefield will be under pressure to deliver record-breaking revenues to cover repayments.

Saudi Arabia's Expanding Gaming Empire

The deal further cements Saudi Arabia's ambitions to dominate global gaming through its Savvy Games Group.

PIF already holds stakes in Nintendo and Take-Two Interactive, and previously acquired Scopely, makers of Monopoly Go, for $4.9 billion.

In March 2025, PIF also took control of Pokémon Go developer Niantic's gaming arm in a $3.5 billion purchase.

The Kingdom has hosted marquee events such as the Esports World Cup, with plans to stage the Olympic Esports Games in 2027.

However, the investment drive comes against a backdrop of international scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

The country continues to deny involvement in journalist Jamal Khashoggi's 2018 murder, despite a UN report holding the Saudi state responsible.

What's Next?

The $55 billion takeover is expected to close in fiscal Q1 2027, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will scrutinise the deal due to national security concerns around Saudi involvement.

If approved, EA - a company synonymous with gaming for over 40 years - will begin its next chapter as a privately owned publisher, fuelled by Middle Eastern investment and private equity influence.

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