Late last week, rumors started rolling in that Electronic Arts was nearing a $50 billion buyout to go private. We have a policy of not reporting on rumors unless we’re able to confirm them ourselves, and now Electronic Arts has confirmed that it’s partly true. The buyout is actually approximately $55 billion, and the transaction marks the largest all-cash sponsor take-private in history.
EA will be acquired by an investor consortium composed of PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners in an all-cash transaction. Under the agreement, the investor consortium will acquire 100 percent of EA, with PIF rolling over its existing 9.9 percent stake. As a result, EA stockholders will receive $210 per share in cash, a 25 percent premium over the company’s unaffected share price of $168.32 at market close on September 25, 2025.
The transaction was approved by the company’s Board of Directors and is expected to close in Q1 of fiscal year 2027. Obviously, it is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval and approval by EA stockholders. EA will continue to be headquartered in Redwood City, California, and Andrew Wilson will continue as CEO.
As for the investment consortium, PIF is based in Saudi Arabia, while Silver Lake is a global investment firm with over $110 billion in combined assets. Affinity Partners, based in Miami, is an investment firm founded in 2021 by Jared Kushner and has over $5.4 billion under management.
