A Saudi-led investment group finalized the $55 billion acquisition of American video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA), according to official statements and industry reports released on Wednesday, Anadolu reports.
The deal, which takes the publisher of major franchises such as EA Sports FC, the Sims, and Mass Effect private, marks the largest leveraged buyout in corporate history and the second-largest acquisition in gaming history, behind Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Under the terms of the transaction, the acquiring consortium, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) alongside Affinity Partners, provided $36 billion in equity and secured $20 billion in debt financing from JPMorgan to complete the acquisition.
The investor group, which includes Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, will take EA private by acquiring all outstanding publicly traded shares, ending the company’s stock market listing.
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