Electronic Arts, the maker of video games such as FIFA, Battlefield, and The Sims, wants to buy it for $52.5 billion. This could be the most significant share buyout ever financed by private equity firms. This is reported by Reuters.
The buyers are the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Wealth Fund PIF, the investment company Affinity Partners, which is managed by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the investment company Silver Lake Partners. They will pay Electronic Arts shareholders $210 per share.
The value of the deal, taking into account EA’s debt, is estimated at $55 billion. This is significantly higher than the previous record of $32 billion paid for Texas utility TXU in 2007. At the time, the deal broke records for a share buyout using debt.
If the deal goes through, it will mark the end of EA’s 36-year history as a public company. At the time, the company’s shares were trading for 52 cents at the close of its first day.
By going private, EA will be able to refocus its operations without worrying about the market’s reaction. While its video games still have a passionate following, the company’s annual revenue has stagnated over the past three fiscal years, hovering between $7.4 billion and $7.6 billion.
EA shares, which rose nearly 5% on Monday, jumped 15% on Friday after rumors of a takeover began circulating. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of the 2027 US fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2026. It still needs approval from EA shareholders.