EA Is Being Taken Private, Ending Its 36-Year History As a Publicly Traded Company, in One of the Biggest Buyouts on Record

The company announced the completion of the deal on Tuesday evening, days after the EU gave its final regulatory approval. EA is being taken private, ending its 36-year history as a publicly traded company, in one of the biggest buyouts on record. The buyers include Saudi Arabia's PIF, Affinity Partners—a private equity firm run by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner—and Silver Lake Partners.

"EA has created stories, characters, and communities that have become part of everyday life for hundreds of millions of people, Kushner said. "We're excited to support the company as it continues to reach new audiences, inspire the next generation of creators, and expand the ways people around the world connect through play. The Saudi royal family has been investing in video games and esports, alongside sports, media and comedy, while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a reputation as a gamer.

EA was founded by former Apple employee William "Trip" Hawkins in 1982, and has been run by CEO Andrew Wilson since 2013. Annual revenues have stagnated between $7.4bn and $7.6bn amid competition from mobile makers like Epic Games; rival Activision Blizzard was bought by Microsoft for almost $69bn in 2023. As a private company, EA will no longer report quarterly results, though job cuts often follow such deals. EA laid off about 5% of its workforce in 2024, had 14,500 employees in March 2025, and cut several hundred jobs in May. On Monday, EA reported lower-than-expected revenues, blamed on declining engagement with its latest Battlefield game.