Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is set to take control of Electronic Arts in what would be the largest-ever leveraged buyout of a gaming company, valuing the publisher of The Sims and FIFA at $55 billion. The deal, first reported by Bloomberg, also involves Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, which together agreed to pay $210 a share in cash. JPMorgan is providing a $20 billion loan to support the buyout.
PIF will be the largest equity contributor in the $36 billion financing package, securing a controlling stake. Silver Lake will take a significant share, while Affinity, the $5.4 billion fund launched by Kushner in 2021 with $2 billion from PIF, will have the smallest position.
Kushner played a pivotal role in brokering the deal, according to Bloomberg, connecting EA with PIF and maintaining momentum in the negotiations when they stalled earlier this year. His involvement underscores the increasingly complex ties between the Trump family and Gulf wealth, as the Trump Organization simultaneously pushes real estate expansion in Saudi Arabia.
The deal still requires clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Given its scale and the national security sensitivities around foreign control of a major US gaming studio, the review could result in approval, restrictions, or a block altogether.
Under Biden, Middle Eastern wealth funds faced heightened scrutiny; under Trump, the Treasury has pursued a fast-track process for allied investors.
