EA to be acquired by private equity firms in $50b deal

EA announced today that the publisher plans to go private as part of a private equity leveraged buyout deal. If the proposed $52.5 billion buyout goes through, it will be the largest in history. While the proposal still needs stockholder and regulatory approval, the deal is expected to go through in early 2027.

Electronic Arts is one of the biggest video game publishers in with world, with franchises like Battlefield, Dragon Age, Madden, Mass Effect, Need for Speed, and The Sims in its catalog. EA also owns and operates BioWare, Criterion Games, DICE, Motive Studio, and Respawn Entertainment.

The new ownership of EA will be private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (an organization which is already a 9.9% stakeholder), and Affinity Partners.

Silver Lake is the 12th largest private equity firm in the world and invests heavily in technology, ecommerce, and sports.

Saudi Arabia's PIF, controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has diverse investments around the world and was in the news recently as the backer behind a new free DLC for Assassin's Creed Mirage. The PIF has been accused by Human Rights Watch (and others) of using endeavors like the LIV golf tournament to whitewash Saudi Arabia's long history of human rights violations and the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Affinity Partners is fully owned by Jared Kushner, best known as the son-in-law of Donald Trump, and is mostly dependent on the PIF for it's funding. The firm invests in ventures like Israeli technology companies and, as of 2024, has not returned any profits.

EA's CEO Andrew Wilson will remain in his role that, apropos of nothing, pays 260 times the median salary at EA.