Electronic Arts Completes $55bn Sale to Saudi PIF-Led Investor Group, Delists From Nasdaq
The Facts
- Electronic Arts completed its $55bn acquisition by a consortium of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Affinity Partners on 4 August 2026, taking the company private.
- EA's common stock has been delisted from the Nasdaq, and shareholders receive $210 in cash for each share held at the time of closing.
- Filings cited in reporting indicate PIF holds 93.4% of EA, with Silver Lake at 5.5% and Affinity Partners at 1.1%.
- Affinity Partners is an investment firm founded and led by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump; PIF is chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- About $20bn of the purchase price is debt financing that lands on EA's balance sheet, which multiple outlets describe as making this the largest leveraged buyout on record.
- The deal was first announced in September 2025 and approved by shareholders in December, with EU clearance as the final regulatory approval needed before closing.
- Andrew Wilson remains EA's chairman and chief executive, and said in the company's announcement that EA is entering its next chapter 'from a position of strength with partners who share our vision and ambition.'
- The change of ownership covers franchises including EA Sports FC (formerly Fifa), Battlefield, The Sims, Madden NFL, Apex Legends, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
- The debt load has prompted expectations within the industry of cost-cutting, including possible layoffs, studio closures or cancelled projects, but EA has not confirmed any such measures.
- The closing ends more than 35 years of EA trading publicly; the company had been listed since about 1989-1990.
Context
What is a leveraged buyout, and why does the debt matter for EA?
In a leveraged buyout, a large share of the purchase price is financed with borrowed money that is then carried by the acquired company. Reporting puts roughly $20bn of the $55bn EA deal in debt financing, which EA itself will have to service BBC,PlayGround.ru,Verge. That obligation is why commentators and developers expect pressure to cut costs or lean more heavily on reliably profitable franchises, though EA has confirmed no specific measures GameSpot,Verge.
Who exactly owns EA now?
EA is owned by a group of investors referred to as the Consortium: Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the private equity firm Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, the firm led by Jared Kushner Business Standard,gamesradar,pcgamer. Filings cited by reporters give PIF a 93.4% stake, Silver Lake 5.5% and Affinity 1.1% La Razón,Verge,Metro.
What has EA said about what happens next?
EA's press release said the takeover 'brings long-term capital, sector expertise, and strategic support' and that the company is positioned to accelerate creativity and innovation pcgamer. Andrew Wilson remains chairman and CEO and said the new owners would 'invest boldly' and 'accelerate innovation' IGN,GameSpot,heise online. Concrete decisions about studios, staffing and individual franchises have not been announced GameSpot,Игромания.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Neither framing treats a fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman holding 93.4% of Madden and The Sims as an ordinary change of ownership; both call the stake itself significant.
- Where Left and Right split
- $20bn of borrowed money landing on the balance sheet the game-makers work under, or who now owns American cultural franchises.
How left and right read it
About $20bn of the $55bn price is debt that now sits on EA's own balance sheet — the largest leveraged buyout on record. Shareholders got $210 a share in cash; the borrowing stays with the company and the people who make Battlefield and The Sims. And note who holds the equity: a fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman at 93.4%, with Jared Kushner's firm alongside it. Insist that workers not be made to service someone else's debt.
A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund closed its $55bn purchase of Electronic Arts on 4 August 2026, taking it private. Property changed hands properly: announced in September 2025, approved by shareholders in December, cleared by the EU. Owners consented and took $210 a share. But a fund chaired by the Saudi Crown Prince now holds 93.4% of Madden NFL and The Sims, and that is a sovereignty question, not merely a market one.
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