REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — The acquisition of digital entertainment heavyweight Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) officially closed on August 4, 2026, marking the completion of the largest leveraged buyout (LBO) in global corporate history. The all-cash transaction values the video game publisher at approximately $55 billion, with stockholders receiving $210 per share as the company concludes 37 years of public trading on NASDAQ.
The buyout was executed by an investor consortium comprising Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), global technology private equity firm Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The deal places the world’s most dominant portfolio of licensed sports video game franchises—including EA SPORTS FC, Madden NFL, and the official F1 championship series—under direct Saudi control.
The acquisition significantly accelerates Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy under Vision 2030, which targets creating 39,000 domestic jobs and contributing $13.3 billion (SAR 50 billion) to national GDP. The asset sits alongside PIF wholly owned subsidiary Savvy Games Group, which commands an estimated $38 billion capital deployment mandate and holds assets including ESL FACEIT Group, Scopely, and Moonton.
“Entertainment and sports are key areas of strategic focus for PIF, and are among the fastest growing and evolving sectors around the world,” said Turqi Alnowaiser, Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments at PIF. EA will maintain its headquarters in Redwood City, California, operating as a private company under current Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson.