Video game giant Electronic Arts closes $55 billion go-private sale of its business
The Saudi-led consortium will cut $700 million in annual costs as EA leaves public markets and takes on about $18 billion in debt.
- On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund , Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners completed a $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts, taking the publisher private and delisting its shares from the Nasdaq.
- Financed by JPMorgan, the $20 billion debt structure makes this the largest leveraged buyout in history, forcing EA to prioritize immediate operational changes to manage substantial annual interest payments.
- Management plans to cut $700 million in annual costs, including $170 million in "organizational efficiencies," as the company focuses on aggressive cost-cutting to maintain profitability under new ownership.
- While CEO Andrew Wilson retains his position, analysts warn the debt burden could force studio closures, mass layoffs, and intellectual property sell-offs, prioritizing bankable franchises over experimental development.
- Critics have labeled the move as "sportswashing," citing Saudi Arabia's human rights record, while the government frames the acquisition as economic diversification away from oil dependence.
146 Articles
146 Articles
Saudi-led group completes $55 billion buyout of gaming giant Electronic Arts
Saudi Arabia · DEALS Key Facts —Deal value: The consortium paid $55 billion all-cash for Electronic Arts, making it the largest leveraged buyout in history. —Buyer consortium: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, US private equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners led the acquisition. —Ownership split: PIF controls roughly 93.4% of EA post-closing, […] The post Saudi-led group completes $55 billion buyout of gaming giant …
Among the buyers is also an investment company led by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Electronic Arts Goes Private In $55 Billion Buyout
Electronic Arts has officially become a privately held company after a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners completed a $55 billion acquisition. According to the report, the deal, finalised on August 4, removes the video game publisher from the Nasdaq and marks the largest leveraged buyout on record.The report said the acquisition was financed through approximately $20 billion in debt, placin…
Saudi fund leads buyout of video game giant EA
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund bought game maker Electronic Arts in perhaps the largest leveraged buyout in history. The $55 billion deal — part-funded with $20 billion borrowed against EA itself — buys Riyadh a profitable business and control of some of the biggest franchises in the world’s biggest entertainment industry. But the move is “not purely economic,” one expert told the BBC. The soccer franchise alone gives the PIF a relationsh…
How Electronic Arts' $18 Billion Debt From Saudi Buyout Will Change the Games You Play
Electronic Arts' record $55bn (£40.6bn) Saudi‑led buyout has saddled the FIFA and Battlefield publisher with about $18bn (£13.3bn) in new debt, a load that will shape how its biggest games are funded and developed for years. Lender documentation and subsequent reporting suggest that borrowing will generate around $1.8bn (£1.33bn) in annual interest payments, adding a fixed cost to EA's business. The deal, confirmed in EA's own announcement and S…
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