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Saudi-led group finalizes $55 billion EA take-private deal

Saudi-led group finalizes $55 billion EA take-private deal

EA shareholders will receive $210 a share as PIF takes 93.4% control of the publisher, closing a record leveraged buyout that could sharpen pressure on franchises, staffing and monetization.

Fact Check
The CNBC article dated Aug 5, 2026 directly confirms the finalized $55 billion take-private of EA by a Saudi-led consortium (PIF, Silver Lake, Affinity Partners) at $210 per share with delisting from Nasdaq. The original September 2025 deal terms ($55 billion, $210/share, Saudi-led) are corroborated by multiple independent outlets including CNBC and Axios. The claim's franchise-strategy/debt-load framing is reflected in analyst commentary cited by CNBC. Andrew Wilson remaining as CEO is consistent with reporting on the deal, though the fetched sources focus primarily on the financial terms.
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Summary

Electronic Arts has completed its $55 billion sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, ending the video game publisher's 36-year run as a publicly traded company. Shareholders will receive $210 in cash per share, a 25% premium to the stock's closing price before the deal was announced in September 2025, while EA's common stock has stopped trading ahead of its Nasdaq delisting. The buyer group, which also includes Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, now controls 93.4% of EA after securing European Union clearance and earlier shareholder approval in December 2025, with Andrew Wilson staying on as chief executive. The transaction, described as the largest leveraged buyout on record, was backed by about $36 billion in equity and $20 billion in JPMorgan debt that will sit on EA, prompting analysts and critics to warn of heavier reliance on blockbuster franchises, further cost cuts, more aggressive monetization and renewed scrutiny of Saudi influence over content, data and creative independence.

Terms & Concepts
  • take-private deal: An acquisition that removes a company from public stock markets and places it under private ownership.
  • leveraged buyout: A purchase of a company financed largely with borrowed money that is often secured against the company being acquired.
  • monetization: The ways a company turns a product or service into revenue, such as subscriptions, advertising or in-game purchases.