EA announces $55 billion buyout with investors, including Saudi Arabia's PIF

Updated article:

EA has officially announced it has “entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an investor consortium comprised of PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners." The publisher has been valued at $55 billion and will be 100% acquired by the consortium in an all-cash deal.

Current shareholders will receive $210 per share in cash, which is a 25% increase on its current share price of $168.32. The deal is expected to be complete by the end of June 2026, with current CEO Andrew Wilson remaining with the company going forward.

Original article:

EA is reportedly in the process of discussing a potential buyout worth $50 billion USD that would see the publisher go private with investors that include Saudi Arabia’s controversial Public Investment Fund.

The details:

• As reported by The Wall Street Journal, EA is currently in “advanced talks” with investors, and the deal could be publicly announced as soon as this week. The group of private investors includes Silver Lake Partners, Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, and the PIF.
• None of the parties reportedly involved have responded to the WSJ’s request for any comments as of yet. However, the news has resulted in EA’s share price jumping by close to 15%, hitting a market cap of $48.38 billion.
• If the buyout goes ahead, it marks yet another major investment in the gaming industry for the PIF, which already holds valuable shares in EA, Tencent, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Take-Two, and more.
• Despite controversies surrounding Saudi Arabia’s weak track record in regard to human rights, the country has continued to diversify its revenue streams in global businesses, investing heavily in sports, gaming, and esports. The state has been accused of sportswashing to cover up its poor reputation, especially in esports, where it hosts the Esports World Cup and owns popular organizer ESL FACEIT.

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