Electronic Arts to Go Private in Biggest Buyout in History

Electronic Arts, the public traded gaming company behind games like Madden NFL, Skate, and The Sims, announced it would go private and be bought out by multiple investors, including a firm managed by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, PIF.

If and when the deal is completed, it will be worth around $55 billion, making it the biggest buyout of a public company in history, the New York Times reports.

In a statement, EA CEO Andrew Wilson called the deal “a powerful recognition” of the company’s “remarkable work.”

The investors will pay EA’s stockholders $210 per share, and PIF, which already owns stake in EA, will simply roll over its shares. The deal is set to be finalized in the first quarter of 2027 if it’s approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. Wilson will continue as CEO, and the company headquarters will stay in Redwood City, Calif., the press release says. 

In recent years, the Saudi fund’s pushed to grow its portfolio beyond oil. It announced its plan to pour billions into the gaming world in 2021, when it created the Savvy Games Group.

In the press release, Jared Kushner, who serves as CEO of Affinity Partners, one of the investors, said he’s long admired EA. 

“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,” he said.