EA Nears $50B Take-Private Deal; Kushner-Linked Bid

Electronic Arts is reportedly in advanced talks to be taken private in a consortium-led buyout that could value the company at about $50 billion and might be announced as soon as next week. The bidder group is said to include Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and, in some reports, Affinity Partners — which is linked to Jared Kushner. If completed, the transaction would likely become the largest leveraged buyout on record, surpassing the 2007 TXU deal. EA shares jumped roughly 15%, closing around $193.35 and putting market value near $48–50 billion. The deal comes as EA leans on major franchises such as Madden, EA Sports FC/FIFA and the upcoming Battlefield release amid industry shifts toward mobile/free-to-play models and near-term bookings pressure; PIF’s involvement could draw additional political scrutiny.