Electronic Arts to go private after $55 billion Saudi‑led deal
Electronic Arts has secured all required regulatory approvals for its $55 billion take‑private transaction. The consortium completing the acquisition consists of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), private‑equity firm Silver Lake and Jared Kushner‑backed Affinity Partners. Under the agreement PIF will own about 93.4 % of EA’s shares, Silver Lake 5.5 % and Affinity Partners 1.1 %. The deal is slated to close on or about the close of trading on 4 August 2026, after which EA will be delisted from the NASDAQ and become a privately held company.
Andrew Wilson will remain chief executive and the company will keep its headquarters in Redwood City, California. The financing includes roughly $36 billion of equity from the investors and a new senior debt facility of about $20 billion, which analysts say could prompt future cost‑cutting measures. The announcement has sparked industry concerns about possible studio closures and layoffs, but the acquiring parties have not commented on operational changes.
Entities: Affinity Partners · Andrew Wilson · Electronic Arts · Electronic Arts Inc. · Public Investment Fund (Saudi Arabia) · Silver Lake
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 16 SOURCES] Silver Lake will receive 5.5% of EA shares in the deal. (multiple sources)
- [● 16 SOURCES] The transaction is scheduled to close on August 4, 2026. (multiple sources)
- [● 16 SOURCES] Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will own 93.4% of EA shares after the merger. (multiple sources)
- [● 16 SOURCES] Andrew Wilson will remain CEO of Electronic Arts after the transaction. (multiple sources)
- [● 16 SOURCES] Affinity Partners will receive 1.1% of EA shares in the deal. (multiple sources)
- [● 16 SOURCES] Electronic Arts will continue to be headquartered in Redwood City, California after the merger. (multiple sources)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The deal to take Electronic Arts private is valued at $55 billion. (all articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] All required regulatory approvals, including from the U.S. SEC and the European Commission, have been obtained. (articles d077396b-3667-4840-84c9-ffa0bf0b2e3d, 9b7d54d9-284d-400d-8282-eca4ec03e4c8, b06a4af7-3893-408d-a841-fdab14f2e38)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The acquiring consortium includes Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. (Variety and SEC filing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The merger is expected to close on or about 4 August 2026, at the close of trading. (Variety and SEC filing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Cost‑cutting measures are likely to be pursued to service the debt. (Analyst comment in articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] All regulatory approvals required for the merger have been obtained. (SEC filing July 30)