Reports say that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and private equity firm Silver Lake may be moving to acquire Electronic Arts for roughly $50 billion, per The Wall Street Journal. If true, this deal would rank among the largest leveraged buyouts in history.
A leveraged buyout (LBO) involves taking on massive debt to purchase a company, with that company’s own assets used as collateral. In this case, the financing structure would place significant debt obligations on EA post‑acquisition.
Saudi Arabia has already made serious moves in gaming. PIF reportedly holds about 10% of EA, has invested in Nintendo (holding around 5% or more in prior years), and controls 96% of SNK via the MiSK Foundation. 
It’s also worth noting that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been linked to serious human rights allegations, including investigations into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
One cautionary example of leveraged buyouts gone wrong is Toys “R” Us. After its 2005 LBO, the company struggled under heavy debt and eventually declared bankruptcy. EA’s fate would depend greatly on how the debt is structured, managed, and whether the company can generate enough cash flow to service it.
For now, nothing is confirmed. But if the deal moves forward, it could reshape EA — and gaming as we know it.
