EA Acquired for $55 Billion: Saudi Fund PIF and the Trump Family Go All-In on AI
What feels like a revolution to some looks more like a ticking time bomb to others: Electronic Arts has just been swallowed for $55 billion by Jared Kushner, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund PIF, and Silver Lake. Behind the promise of innovation lies a more troubling reality: the new owners’ obsession with AI and profitability, with creativity at risk of being suffocated.
Electronic Arts is no ordinary publisher: franchises like Mass Effect, Dead Space, Battlefield, and EA Sports FC have shaped gamers’ imagination for decades. Yet this gaming giant is now changing hands — and not just any hands. Between family business ties, geopolitical ambitions, and technological promises, this acquisition raises as many doubts as it does hopes.
Image credit: Electronic Arts
A record-breaking deal that ruffles feathers
The financial structure revealed shows the scale of the deal. The consortium formed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), investment firm Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners is about to spend a staggering $55 billion — all in cash — to take full control of Electronic Arts. Shareholders are celebrating with a 25% premium on the stock price. But behind the numbers, some troubling signs emerge, notably the involvement of the Saudi PIF, accused by critics of spending billions to buy itself a “cooler” image.
The political dimension doesn’t go unnoticed either. Jared Kushner, head of Affinity Partners and son-in-law of Donald Trump, becomes by default one of the key figures in this new leadership. A closeness to the Trump family that is already sparking reactions.
Andrew Wilson, EA’s current CEO and president, will remain at the helm once the deal is finalized. At first glance, continuity is the message. But for how long? Many fear a sudden and drastic shift.
Artificial intelligence, the new cornerstone of strategy
According to reports from the Financial Times, the new owners are betting on a trump card: generalized artificial intelligence. The goal: cut costs, boost profits, and absorb the enormous debt created by the acquisition. On paper, it sounds foolproof. In practice, it could mean:
- Games fine-tuned by algorithms, designed for quick consumption rather than creativity.
- A creative flattening in favor of profitable but soulless products.
- Tighter control over studios, pressured to deliver more, faster.
AI can be a powerful tool, but in the hands of investors obsessed with margins, it becomes a mechanism of rationalization — and that’s what worries many observers.
And what about the players?
They may be the ones paying the highest price. Battlefield fans already fear the franchise’s more realistic direction could be sacrificed on the altar of profitability. Others worry that EA licenses will become even more aggressive cash machines, stuffed with microtransactions and standardized experiences. Behind the lofty talk of “the future of entertainment” may lie a harsher truth: a gaming giant being consumed by financial logic.
The EA acquisition highlights a broader trend: video games are no longer just a creative industry, but a playground of economic and political influence. When Saudi Arabia, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner seize control of such a symbolic publisher, the implications go far beyond gaming. Should we welcome a future supercharged by AI, or fear the end of an era where passion came before profit? Time will tell, but one thing is certain: EA’s story has just entered turbulent waters.
