A consortium of investors led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has completed the acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA), one of the world's leading gaming companies, for $55 billion USD. The consortium also includes investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. The transaction was finalized on August 4, 2026, resulting in EA's transition from a publicly traded company on the stock market to a privately held company.
EA is a renowned company that produces popular games including EA Sports FC, Battlefield, Madden NFL, The Sims, and Apex Legends. According to the acquisition, EA shareholders received $210 per share in cash. According to Reuters, the $55 billion acquisition has become the largest leveraged buyout in history.
The acquisition was not carried out by Saudi Arabia alone, but was led by the Saudi National Investment Fund in partnership with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. Although the transaction has been completed, EA will continue to develop and publish its games under operations, but will no longer trade on the stock market.
Ref: Technology Innovation
