Electronic Arts Officially Sold For $55 Billion

Electronic Arts has been acquired for a staggering $55 billion, marking the company’s transition to private ownership and cementing the deal as the second‑largest transaction ever recorded in the gaming sector.

The transaction brings together a consortium of investors: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the U.S. private‑equity giant Silver Lake Partners, and Affinity Partners—a firm chaired by Jared Kushner, the son‑in‑law of former President Donald Trump.

In a joint press release, all three new owners expressed enthusiasm for the future of EA. “EA has created stories, characters, and communities that have become part of everyday life for hundreds of millions of people,” Jared Kushner, CEO of Affinity Partners, remarked. “We’re excited to support the company as it continues to reach new audiences, inspire the next generation of creators, and expand the ways people around the world connect through play.”

With over five years as a minority stakeholder, we possess an intimate grasp of EA’s distinctive platform, its expansive global sports and gaming catalog, and its legendary intellectual properties, declared Turqi Alnowaiser, Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments at PIF. “Entertainment and sports sit at the core of PIF’s strategic priorities, representing some of the world’s most rapidly expanding and dynamic sectors. In partnership with the Consortium, we are uniquely equipped to serve as a long‑term ally to EA’s leadership, fostering enduring growth and innovation across the company and the broader industry.”

EA’s titles rank among the most cherished in the entertainment landscape, marrying top‑tier creative expertise with an unwavering commitment to players, remarked Egon Durban, CEO and Managing Partner of Silver Lake. “Our long‑term stake in technology drives us to celebrate how EA’s pioneering spirit sparks imagination and fosters human connection. We are thrilled to collaborate with PIF and Affinity Partners in a substantial investment aimed at propelling EA’s expansion—particularly through AI’s potential to elevate game creation and player engagement—and we look forward to partnering with Andrew and the EA team as they set new standards for audiences worldwide.”

Although the transaction was framed as a consortium, a late‑year report disclosed that upon completion, Saudi Arabia will hold a 93% stake in EA via the PIF. The PIF—Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—commands roughly $900 billion in assets. Its mandate is to catalyze development that strengthens the kingdom’s economy, and it has already financed comparable gaming ventures, including the purchases of Scopely, Niantic, SNK, and EVO, as well as stakes in Nintendo, Take‑Two Interactive, and other titles.

The deal was initially unveiled last September and has since received approval from EA shareholders and the relevant regulatory bodies. Nevertheless, a wave of apprehension has surfaced regarding its ramifications. Bloomberg noted that several credit rating agencies intend to reassess EA’s creditworthiness following the transaction—likely unfavorably—while other analysts warn that the outcome could precipitate the shuttering of studios like BioWare. Moreover, the acquisition would terminate EA’s earnings calls, effectively shrouding the company in opacity and making publicly available information on its operations increasingly scarce.

The partnership has sparked intense criticism, with observers pointing to Saudi Arabia’s notorious human‑rights record. Amnesty International has highlighted that the kingdom recently executed the largest number of individuals ever recorded in a single year, maintains a documented pattern of torturing detainees, severely restricts free expression and assembly, enforces discriminatory laws against women, criminalizes same‑sex relationships and other LGBTQ+ activities, and more.

Staff members and gamers alike have voiced their frustration, especially given that the firm owns the The Sims franchise, long celebrated for championing inclusive representation of women and LGBTQ+ communities.

Affinity Partners, wholly owned by Jared Kushner, derives the bulk of its capital from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which poured $2 billion into the venture shortly after Kushner departed the White House at the close of President Trump’s first term. Both Kushner and Affinity Partners are now under scrutiny by the House Judiciary Committee, which has opened an inquiry into potential conflicts of interest stemming from Kushner’s actions during the Trump administration. While serving as a “Special Envoy for Peace” in the Middle East, Kushner has faced accusations of misusing his diplomatic authority to align U.S. policy with the substantial funds he has attracted from sovereign wealth sources, especially Saudi Arabia’s.