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On September 29, 2025, Electronic Arts agreed to be taken private in a jaw-dropping $55 billion all-cash deal led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. The transaction — announced by EA and confirmed across major outlets — hands control of one of America’s most recognizable entertainment brands to a consortium that includes a foreign sovereign wealth fund and a firm tied to a politically connected former White House adviser. Americans should register the scale of this moment: a cultural and commercial icon changing hands in a headline-grabbing corporate move.
Under the terms disclosed, shareholders will receive $210 per share in cash, a roughly 25 percent premium to recent pricing, and the deal is structured with about $36 billion in equity and $20 billion in debt financing, largely committed by JPMorgan. That financial architecture means EA will be heavily levered once private, a risky wager that those running the buyout believe will unlock faster scaling away from public-market pressures. This isn’t small potatoes — it’s Wall Street’s biggest bet on gaming, financed with massive debt and foreign capital.
Company directors approved the transaction and EA will be delisted and taken private if stockholders and regulators sign off, with expectations the deal will close in the first fiscal quarter of 2027 while CEO Andrew Wilson remains in place. Industry analysts are noting that the price tags and timetable place this transaction above any previous leveraged buyout on record, surpassing the largest deals of the past. For employees and fans alike, the coming months will be a period of uncertainty as private owners set the future course for franchises like EA Sports FC, Madden, and Battlefield.
Let’s be blunt: putting America’s cultural property under the stewardship of a Saudi-backed consortium and a firm tied to Jared Kushner raises legitimate questions about influence, values, and national interest. A foreign sovereign fund with growing reach in gaming now has more control over which stories and sports titles are stewarded, and the U.S. government will rightly face pressure to scrutinize the national-security and competitive implications of such concentrated ownership. Conservatives who value American sovereignty and the protection of our artistic and technological heritage should demand nothing less than rigorous review and transparency.
There is, to be fair, an arguable business case for taking EA private: freedom from the quarterly earnings treadmill can let management invest long-term, reboot franchises, and experiment without activist investors breathing down their necks. Private capital can catalyze turnaround plans and reinvestment that public markets sometimes punish, and that might benefit designers and gamers if the owners prioritize product over short-term profit. Still, long-term promises from private equity are only worth the paper they’re written on unless paired with safeguards for workers, IP, and consumer interests.
Don’t overlook the bigger pattern: PIF has been aggressively buying into the global gaming ecosystem, and this deal is another step toward concentrated foreign influence in an industry that shapes culture and youth engagement. From esports investments to stakes in multiple studios, the Saudis are building a footprint that deserves scrutiny from elected officials who should be defending American industry, jobs, and intellectual property. The question for conservatives is simple — are we going to allow strategic cultural assets to be quietly consolidated under foreign patrons, or will we insist on accountability?
This deal will move through shareholder votes and regulatory reviews, and Americans should not treat that process as mere formality; it is an opportunity to demand clarity on debt loads, governance, job protections, and how creative control will be handled under new ownership. Lawmakers and regulators must be alert and act to ensure that a blockbuster deal doesn’t trade short-term gains for long-term loss of American control over a major cultural industry. Patriots who care about free enterprise and national interest should watch this carefully and press their representatives for rigorous oversight.
