Saudi Arabia Leads Historic $55 Billion EA Buyout

The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA) by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) alongside Jared Kushner's Affinity Equity Partners and Silver Lake, in a $55 billion transaction that has now cleared its most significant regulatory milestone.

Valued at $55 billion, the transaction is recognised as the largest leveraged buyout in history after receiving clearance from the European Commission, which concluded that the acquisition raises no competition or antitrust concerns within the European Union.

The only remaining regulatory requirement is approval under the EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), which reviews acquisitions involving state-backed capital from outside the European Union. A decision is expected by July 30, with approval widely anticipated.

The acquisition was originally announced in September 2025. Electronic Arts owns some of the world's most successful gaming franchises, including FIFA, Madden NFL, The Sims, Battlefield, and Apex Legends, reaching hundreds of millions of players worldwide.

The transaction represents another major milestone in PIF's long-term gaming strategy, which has been developed through Savvy Games Group with investments in companies including Nintendo, Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two.

The acquisition marks a strategic shift from minority investments to full ownership of one of the gaming industry's most recognisable intellectual property portfolios, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's growing presence in the global gaming sector.