Saudi Fund to Take 93.4% Stake in $55B EA Buyout

A recent filing with Brazil's antitrust regulator has revealed that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will hold 93.4 percent ownership of Electronic Arts following a proposed $55 billion acquisition, granting the sovereign wealth fund dominant control over the video game publisher.

The deal, announced in September by a consortium including the Public Investment Fund, private equity firm Silver Lake Partners and investment firm Affinity Partners, marks the largest leveraged buyout in history if approved. Under the ownership structure outlined in the filing, Silver Lake would own 5.5 percent and Affinity Partners 1.1 percent. To fund its stake, the Public Investment Fund plans to contribute approximately $29 billion, incorporating its existing 5.2 percent investment in Electronic Arts along with equity and a $20 billion loan from JPMorgan Chase. The transaction requires shareholder approval, with a vote scheduled for later this month, and is expected to close by mid-2026, taking the Redwood City, California-based company private.

Electronic Arts, founded in 1982 and led by CEO Andrew Wilson, is known for popular franchises such as FIFA (now EA Sports FC), Madden NFL,...