Publishing giant EA, which has been a publically traded company for 36 years, has announced that it is set to be acquired and turned into a private company in a deal worth $55 billion.
While EA has certainly had a few problems recently, such as the underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and EA Sports FC, the company has continued to bring in money and shown little sign of being financially struggling, making this deal all the more surprising.
So, who are the buyers? PIF (Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund), Silver Lake (a tech investment firm), and Affinity Partners (led by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Trump.)
All three investment groups—Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners—are highly controversial due to their involvement in human rights abuses, opaque business practices, and close ties to powerful political figures. PIF is linked to forced evictions, repression of dissent, and whitewashing Saudi Arabia’s reputation through global investments, including sports and entertainment, while Silver Lake has faced scrutiny for aggressive private equity strategies that often lead to layoffs and asset stripping, and Affinity Partners is led by Jared Kushner, whose connections to President Donald Trump and foreign governments have drawn repeated criticism for potential conflicts of interest and lack of transparency.
The deal is set to close in EA’s first fiscal quarter of 2027, with the consortium paying $210 per share. That’s quite a more than the company’s currently value of around $43 billion, although that evaluation is now climbing rapidly following the announcement.
Apparently, current CEO Andrew Wilson will maintain his role, and EA’s headquarters will stay in Redwood City, California. Other than that, we don’t really know what the plan for EA is going forward, outside a vague statement in which the buyers say they want to “accelerate innovation and growth” at the company.
“Our creative and passionate teams at EA have delivered extraordinary experiences for hundreds of millions of fans, built some of the world’s most iconic IP, and created significant value for our business,” said Andrew Wilson, possibly while lounging around on a couch made of money. “This moment is a powerful recognition of their remarkable work… Together with our partners, we will create transformative experiences to inspire generations to come. I am more energized than ever about the future we are building.”
“Electronic Arts is an extraordinary company with a world-class management team and a bold vision for the future,” stated Jared Kushner. “I’ve admired their ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, and as someone who grew up playing their games—and now enjoys them with his kids—I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”
This is set to be a big year for EA, as Battlefield 6 is launching in just over a week and has gained considerable hype. While it probably won’t manage to outsell Call of Duty, it looks like it will do very well for itself and could mark something of a resurgence for the franchise.
How are you guys feeling about this huge announcement? I have to say, I did not have this on my 2025 bingo card.
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