EU approves Saudi Arabia's $55bn acquisition of EA, clearing path for largest private leveraged buyout of all time
The European Commission has approved the $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts by Saudi Arabia's PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.
The European Commission has officially approved the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA), marking a major milestone for what is set to become the largest private leveraged buyout in history.
As reported by Eurogamer, the deal is being led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), along with private equity firm Silver Lake and investment company Affinity Partners. The European Commission assessed the transaction under its standard merger review procedure, concluding that the takeover would not raise competition concerns within the market.
Record-Breaking Financial Structure
The acquisition is structured as a leveraged buyout, meaning the purchase is being financed primarily through borrowed debt. With a valuation of $55 billion, the deal will stand as the largest leveraged buyout of all time once finalized.
EA stakeholders officially approved the acquisition in December 2025. Following the regulatory clearance from the European Commission, Eurogamer reports that no major national barriers are expected to remain to prevent the deal from reaching completion.
Backing, Political Ties, and Criticism
Among the key entities involved in the acquisition group is Affinity Partners, an investment firm led by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The involvement of Saudi Arabia's PIF has drawn widespread controversy and criticism due to the country's human rights record, including the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Observers and critics have frequently characterized Saudi Arabia's massive financial moves in the gaming sector as an effort at "sportswashing"—using high-profile investments in entertainment and athletics to burnish its international reputation.
The transaction has also faced formal resistance from labor representation. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) vocally opposed the takeover and previously requested assistance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in an effort to block the deal.
Editorial note: Generated with AI from the cited sources and published through IRLMSQ's automated news workflow. This article was not reviewed by a human before publication. Editorial standards
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