The second largest deal in the history of the gaming industry has been closed—marking the largest leveraged buyout globally. Electronic Arts (EA) is now owned by an investor group led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The investors purchased EA shares at $210 each—valuing the entire company at $55 billion. It is known that approximately $20 billion was borrowed.
Here is the breakdown of ownership in EA among the new stakeholders:
- PIF — 93.4%;
- Silver Lake — 5.5%;
- Affinity Partners — 1.1%.
“We're entering this next chapter from a position of strength with partners who share our vision and ambition. Together, we'll invest boldly, accelerate innovation, and build the next generation of games and experiences for the hundreds of millions of players and fans who inspire us every day,” commented EA CEO Andrew Wilson on the completion of the sale.
As a result of the deal, EA has once again become a private company, delisting from the NASDAQ stock exchange after nearly four decades of trading.
The sale of EA to investors was announced in September 2025. Although the deal sparked dissatisfaction among some company employees and even certain U.S. senators, it did not prevent EA from first receiving approval from its shareholders and later from antitrust regulators.