Video game developer EA completes $55B sale, delisting from exchange

American video game developer and publisher Electronic Arts has completed a sale deal to an investor consortium for $55 billion. Following the transaction, the company has gone private, and its shares have stopped trading on the Nasdaq exchange.

The consortium of buyers includes the Saudi sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund, investment company Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, founded by Jared Kushner. According to The Verge, PIF received 93.4% of the new structure and became its majority owner.

Electronic Arts shareholders were paid $210 per share. The price was 25% higher than the market value of the stock before news of the potential sale emerged.

To finance the deal, investors raised about $20 billion in borrowed funds. Due to the scale of debt financing, the transaction is being called the largest leveraged buyout in history. The consortium was also expected to provide approximately $36 billion in its own funds and through PIF's stake, which held 9.9% of EA prior to the acquisition.

Electronic Arts will keep its headquarters in Redwood City, California. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson will continue to lead the company, stating that the new owners plan to support the development of technology and game franchises.

EA owns or publishes the EA Sports FC, Battlefield, The Sims, Need for Speed, Madden NFL, Apex Legends, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect series. A significant portion of the company's revenue comes from sports simulators, online services, and sales of in-game content.

The heavy debt load could increase EA's dependence on its most profitable series. Analysts suggest the company will focus more resources on large-scale franchises with predictable revenues, while risky and experimental projects may receive less funding.

The deal was announced in September 2025. At the time, Electronic Arts management stated that going private would enable faster decision-making, higher investments, and reduced dependence on short-term stock market expectations.

Based on materials from: Electronic Arts, The Verge, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission