Electronic Arts announced in October that it would go private via a $55 billion leveraged buyout, and new reporting shows Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund would end up owning 93.4% of the company if the transaction closes. The Wall Street Journal report breaks down the ownership split in the consortium that agreed to buy EA: the PIF would hold 93.4%, Silver Lake would hold 5.5%, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners would have 1.1%. The report also notes that PIF is a significant investor in both Silver Lake and Affinity.
That level of concentration would give the PIF effective control over EA’s strategy and its roster of studios and franchises, from FIFA and Battlefield to The Sims and Apex Legends, should regulators and shareholders approve the deal and it reaches closing. Observers have already raised questions about sovereign ownership and cultural influence in games funded or controlled by state-backed entities. Previous coverage of related PIF-backed projects includes reporting on Assassin’s Creed Mirage and how the fund has been involved in content financing, and a separate piece on Ubisoft drew scrutiny over similar ties.
The buyout announced in October remains conditional on regulatory approvals and closing mechanics common to leveraged take-private deals, so the final ownership map could still change before the transaction completes. Even so, the WSJ numbers highlight how one investor’s cash commitment can dwarf partner stakes in mega-deals.
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