Following approval from antitrust authorities, Digital Arts has modified arms for $55 billion. The corporate was privatized in a single day; the brand new homeowners are Saudi Arabia and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Replace from August 5, 2026:
Now it’s official. As of the shut of buying and selling on Tuesday, August 4, Digital Arts is not a publicly traded firm. All shareholders have been paid out; the corporate has been privatized by a gaggle of buyers consisting of the Saudi Arabian Public Funding Fund (PIF), the funding agency of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the non-public fairness agency Silver Lakefor $55 billion.
It’s the largest leveraged buyout of all time. Saudi Arabia holds the lion’s share of the brand new possession construction;the PIF controls over 93 % of EA’s shares.
EA itself acknowledged in a press launch that the acquisition would supply the publisherwith long-term capital, enterprise experience, and strategic assist. This can allow the companyto additional speed up its personal creativity and innovation and thus assist form the way forward for leisure.Nonetheless, many followers and gamers are essential of the brand new possession construction. Extra on this beneath.
Unique report from July 31, 2026:
The tip of EA as we all know it’s sealed. In response to a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee on July 30, 2026, the writer expects to droop buying and selling of its shares in just some days. The delisting is the corporate’s ultimate step towards a takeover by non-public homeowners.
A consortium of buyers consisting of the Saudi Arabian Public Funding Fund (PIF), the funding agency of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the non-public fairness agency Silver Lake had provided roughly $55 billion in September 2025 to buy all shares of Digital Arts and take the corporate non-public. Buyers are set to obtain $210 per share.
EA’s administration and shareholders had already authorized the provide in late summer season 2025; in current months, the deal has been completely reviewed by varied worldwide competitors authorities, together with the European Fee. It is because a company takeover of this magnitude considerably disrupts the market and has the potential to considerably alter the aggressive panorama.
All authorized hurdles cleared
Within the particular case of EA, nonetheless, the authorities have reached a reasonably unanimous conclusion that the sale of the corporate is unlikely to pose any antitrust points, since this isn’t a merger of two publishers—as was the case with Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, for instance—however merely a change in possession. In different phrases, from the arms of the present shareholders to these of the brand new buyers.
In response to thelatest report from EA’s Vice President Jacob Schatzto the securities regulator, the corporate has nowcleared all remaining authorized hurdles for the acquisition.
Competitors authorities in each the EU and the U.S. have authorized the change of management at EA. Now the acquisition simply must be finalized. EA administration expects the shares to be delisted on the shut of buying and selling on August 4, 2026; Digital Arts will thus finish its run as a publicly traded companyafter 36 years.
Because of the acquisition, EA will change into a non-public firm and can not be required to report its financials to the general public—how becoming that the wage bonus of Andrew Wilson, the EA CEO who orchestrated the deal, rose by a whopping $8 million once more this 12 months.Amongst different causes, administration cited the robust efficiency ofBattlefield 6.
The EA Deal: Background on the New House owners
In September 2025, it was introduced that EA could be acquired by a consortium of buyers for about 47 billion euros and would thus be privatized. EA’s new homeowners embody the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF and Affinity Companions, the funding agency led by Jared Kushner. Saudi Arabia faces accusations of political and human rights repression, such because the persecution of activists and journalists. There’s additionally deep-rooted discrimination in opposition to minorities. Freedom of speech is systematically suppressed. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has repeatedly confronted criticism for doubtful actual property offers, secret contacts with the Russian authorities, and allegations of corruption. Kushner additionally maintains shut ties with Saudi Crown Prince and PIF Chairman Mohammed bin Salman.
What does this imply for EA’s future?
Though EA has introduced that the corporate’s values will stay the identical underneath the brand new homeowners, the acquisition is already having a major affect. Because of the Saudi Arabian authorities’s stance on the rights of girls and the LGBTQ group, a number of content material creators ended their collaboration with EA’s in-house creator community for the life simulation sport *The Sims* this fall.
And in the case of monetization, the acquisition is already casting a darkish shadow. Only in the near past, EA introduced a brand new platform for advertisers to position adverts straight in sports activities video games similar to EA Sports activities FC, Madden NFL, Faculty Soccer, and Skate, in addition to The Sims. EA desperately wants the cash, as a result of following the takeover by the investor consortium, the corporate has agigantic mountain of debt totaling $20 billionto repay.
The patrons are financing the takeover with debt (a so-calledleveraged buyout). They don’t really personal the cash; as an alternative, they’re borrowing it from banks and different buyers. Digital Arts should repay these loans itself over the approaching years utilizing the income it generates. Managementis, in a way, playing on good revenue prospects with this acquisitionand is placing the destiny of all its studios and builders on the road.
If EA fails to fulfill its buyers’ monetary expectations, the writer will possible should promote a few of its manufacturers or enterprise items. Accordingly, the corporate is in search of methods to monetize its video games much more successfully—so we’re unlikely to flee much more aggressive microtransactions within the coming years.
