GAME PLAY

Trump’s Son-in-Law and Saudis Take Video Game Giant Private in $55B Deal

Jared Kushner served as an advisor to Trump during his first term.

Video games titan Electronic Arts is being bought by a consortium involving President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The investment fund is completing the $55 billion buyout alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners of which Jared Kushner, the husband of Ivanka Trump, is the CEO. The leveraged privatization of the studio will be the largest in history, with shareholders expected to see $210 per share. According to The Wall Street Journal, the purchase comes at a 25 percent premium over Friday’s closing market price. The powerhouse firm was founded in 1982 and is behind smash hit titles including Madden, EAFC (previously FIFA), Sims, and Battlefield. “As ​someone ​who ​grew up playing their ​games—and now enjoys them with his ​kids—I couldn’t be ​more ​excited about ​what’s ​ahead,” Kushner said. Affinity Partners was founded by Kushner in 2021, the year Trump left office after his first term, following his tenure as an adviser to him since 2017. CNN reports that, pending regulatory confirmation, the deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.