Electronic Arts is officially trading the public stock market for private ownership after completing its massive acquisition deal. A consortium led by the Saudi Arabian sovereign fund PIF bought the gaming giant for 55,000,000,000 dollars. While regulators raised no objections to the sale, the transition ends 36 years of public trading for the publisher behind FIFA and Madden.
According to regulatory filings released by the publisher, the Saudi sovereign fund PIF now holds 93.4% of the company. The remaining shares are divided between American investment firm Silver Lake Partners with 5.5% and Affinity Partners with 1.1%. Longtime chief executive officer Andrew Wilson is staying on to run the business. Under the terms of the buy out, Wilson will collect 105,000,000 dollars for his personal stock holdings. He is promising a major push into future game development.
In an official statement addressing the closure of the acquisition, Wilson expressed confidence about the corporate restructure. He praised the creativity of the workforce. He also framed the massive investment as a way to accelerate game development.
We enter this new chapter from a position of strength, with partners who share our vision and ambition. Together we will invest boldly, accelerate innovation, and create the next generation of games and experiences for the hundreds of millions of players and fans who inspire us every day.
The Saudi fund has been expanding its footprint in the interactive entertainment sector for several years. Turki Alnowaiser, the deputy governor of the fund, commented that the group understands the unique platform of the publisher. He noted that entertainment and sports remain central to their global investment strategy. With regulatory hurdles cleared globally, the deal is now legally binding and complete. The market has shifted.
