American video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) is in talks to buy itself out, valued at around $50 billion. If the deal is completed, the company will lose its public status and become privately owned, The Wall Street Journal reports.
EA went public in 1990 and has remained a public company ever since. Now, a group of investors including private equity firm Silver Lake, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Affinity Partners are discussing terms for the transition. PIF is also Affinity Partners' largest source of funding.
The Saudi fund already owns about 10% of EA shares, making it a key shareholder. Reuters writes that analysts say Saudi Arabia's interest is due to stable revenues from annual sports series, including Madden NFL and NHL. In addition, the country is actively investing in the global gaming industry as part of a strategy to expand its economy after the oil era.
In recent years, PIF has acquired stakes in Take-Two Interactive, Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, and Embracer Group. In March 2025, Niantic, the developer of Pokémon Go, sold its gaming division to a Saudi-owned entity.
Unlike PIF, Silver Lake currently has no significant investments in the video game space, aside from a stake in Unity Technologies. However, the company could be an important partner in financing the deal.
Bloomberg reported that the announcement of the buyout could come as early as next week. However, final terms have not yet been agreed upon and details could change. If the deal goes through, it would be the largest leveraged buyout in history.
Thus, EA can end its 35-year period on the stock exchange and come under the control of a united group of investors, among whom Saudi Arabia plays a key role.