Electronic Arts, the California based gaming giant behind Madden NFL, The Sims, and Apex Legends, has announced an unprecedented $55 billion deal to take the company private. The buyout, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake Partners, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, marks the largest sale in history of an existing public company going private.
Pending regulatory and shareholder approval, the transaction is expected to close by mid 2026. Current CEO Andrew Wilson will remain at the helm, assuring staff in a memo that this shift represents “a new era of opportunity,” and promising that “our values and our commitment to players and fans around the world remain unchanged.”
The sale builds on PIF’s growing influence in gaming. Saudi Arabia already held a 10 percent stake in EA and has sunk billions into the wider industry, from acquiring Monopoly Go! developer Scopely for $4.9 billion to investing $3.5 billion in Pokémon Go creator Niantic. The EA deal is not only PIF’s largest gaming acquisition to date but also a milestone for private equity in the entertainment space.
Not everyone is celebrating though, critics warn this is another example of Saudi Arabia’s sports washing strategy, pointing to the kingdom’s human rights record. PIF backed events like the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, which drew over 2,000 competitors for a staggering $71.5 million prize pool, highlight the country’s push to become a cultural hub. High profile guests, from Hideo Kojima to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, lent legitimacy to the event.
Controversy has also bled into comedy, performers like Bill Burr and Dave Chappelle faced backlash for agreeing to attend the Riyadh Comedy Festival, where contracts reportedly barred jokes about the Saudi state. Comedian Marc Maron hit back, quipping, “The same guy that’s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a f**ing suitcase.”*
To finance the $55 billion deal, EA will take on a $20 billion loan from JPMorgan Chase, the largest single bank debt commitment ever for such a transaction.
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