Silver Lake, PIF, and funds under Kushner create a consortium to privatize game giant Electronic Arts Inc. (EA. US) for $48 billion.

According to sources, video game manufacturer Electronic Arts Inc. (EA.US) is in negotiations with a consortium led by Silver Lake Management, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, and Affinity Partners led by Jared Kushner regarding the privatization process. Sources say that Electronic Arts Inc., known for popular games such as Madden NFL, The Sims, and Battlefield, may announce the deal as early as next week. Sources added that JPMorgan Chase & Co. is preparing financing options for the buyers. According to Bloomberg data, the acquisition of Electronic Arts Inc. would be one of the largest deals announced so far in 2025 and could be the largest leveraged buyout in history. Based in Redwood City, California, shares of Electronic Arts Inc. rose by about 15% to $193.35 at the close of trading in New York, giving the company a market value of around $48 billion. President's son-in-law Kushner established investment firm Affinity Partners during the first term of the Trump administration and received support from foreign investors, including those from the Middle East. Due to the poor performance of the latest football game, "EA Sports FC 25," Electronic Arts Inc. faced challenges at the beginning of 2025, but on a recent earnings call, they stated that the contribution from their product portfolio was "better than expected" and performance has rebounded. Electronic Arts Inc. is set to release "Battlefield 6" on October 10, competing with Microsoft Corporation's "Call of Duty" in the video game shooter market. At a time of acquisition negotiations, the video game industry is struggling for growth. After a surge in players during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has seen tens of thousands of layoffs in the past three years. Earlier this year, Electronic Arts Inc. laid off hundreds of employees, marking the third major layoff since 2023.