Saudi PIF’s $55 Billion EA Deal Approved Under EU Merger Rules
The consortium will finance the purchase with about $36 billion in equity and $20 billion in debt, and EA will be delisted after closing.
- On Thursday, the European Commission approved the $55 billion Saudi-led acquisition of Electronic Arts, concluding the deal "would not raise competition concerns, given its limited impact on competition in the markets where the companies are active."
- Saudi Arabia's $1 trillion Public Investment Fund leads the consortium alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, serving as a cornerstone of the crown prince's "Vision 2030" reform plan prioritizing gaming.
- Financed with approximately $36 billion in equity and $20 billion in debt from JPMorgan Chase, the deal grants the Public Investment Fund ownership of over 93 percent of Electronic Arts, though critics have labeled the investment "sportswashing."
- While the merger passed antitrust review, the European Commission continues scrutinizing the transaction under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation to prevent unfair non-EU subsidies, with a final decision expected by July 30.
- Regulatory hurdles remain beyond Europe, including approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US. Upon completion, Electronic Arts will be delisted from the Nasdaq and remain headquartered in Redwood City, California.
29 Articles
29 Articles
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In June 2026, Saudi Arabia published the latest annual report on Vision 2030, the plan to rebuild its economy before the world’s appetite for oil thins. The number that drew attention belonged to the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth vehicle at the centre of that plan. The fund closed 2025 with preliminary assets of about 910 billion dollars, as reported by Middle East Online, short of the 1.09 trillion dollar target it had set for th…
EU Clears Saudi $55 Billion EA Takeover as Debt Load and Soft Power Ambitions Loom
Brussels regulators gave the green light. On Thursday the European Commission approved the record $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a Saudi-led investor group. The move removes one major obstacle for the largest leveraged buyout in history. Yet questions swirl about what comes next for the storied game maker. The Commission examined the deal under standard merger rules. It found the transaction would not raise competition concerns. “…
The acquisition of Electronic Arts is valued at $55 billion. On Thursday, the European Union gave its green light to the acquisition of control of the publisher of...
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