Electronic Arts Completes $55 Billion Take-Private Deal

Electronic Arts has become a privately held company after the all-cash $55 billion acquisition by a consortium consisting of the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund, Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake. EA announced the deal’s completion on Tuesday.

The deal received final regulatory approvals in late July 2026. The company submitted a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission noting that “as of July 30, 2026, all regulatory approvals required to complete the Merger have been obtained” and that it expected the transaction to close on or about the close of trading on August 4, 2026. One of the final hurdles cleared was approval from the European Commission on July 23.

Three partners formed the acquiring consortium. Silver Lake, a technology-focused private equity firm headquartered in New York City and Menlo Park, California, was established in 1999 and reported $102 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Affinity Partners, launched in 2021 by Jared Kushner, held $5.4 billion in assets under management as of 2025 and receives the overwhelming majority of its capital from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The Public Investment Fund is the lead investor. Established in 1971 as Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the PIF manages $900 billion in assets according to its website. It has aggressively expanded its footprint in gaming over the past several years.

The PIF already holds stakes across major game publishers. The fund maintains a 97% stake in SNK and minority positions in Activision Blizzard, Capcom, Embracer Group, Nintendo, and Take-Two. It also controls Savvy Game Group, whose portfolio includes Scopely, the firm that previously bought the developers of Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now.

The PIF states its investments aim to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy. The kingdom has long relied on oil exports. Critics, however, view these moves as “sportswashing” intended to improve the country’s global image via entertainment and sports investments while drawing attention away from its human-rights record.

EA says it will retain creative control under new ownership. The publisher declared that the new owners “believe in our vision, our leadership and the strength of our teams.” CEO Andrew Wilson added that the company’s “values and our commitment to players and fans around the world remain unchanged.” Internal skepticism persists among portions of the workforce.