EA shareholders approve $55bn sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s PIF

• Investors backed the all-cash deal at $210 per share, clearing a major hurdle for the takeover
• The buyer consortium also includes investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.
• EA signed a definitive agreement in September in what will be the largest all-cash take-private deal in gaming history.
• The transaction is expected to close within six to nine months, subject to remaining regulatory approvals.

Electronic Arts shareholders have approved the $55 billion sale of the company to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). 

As reported by Bloomberg, investors in the Redwood City-based publisher voted in favour of the deal at $210 per share in an all-cash transaction, clearing a major hurdle for the takeover. 

The acquisition will see the PIF own 93.4% of the company once the acquisition completes. EA will be taken private after more than four decades as a publicly listed firm.

The buyer group, as we broke down here, includes the PIF alongside technology-focused investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. 

PIF's growing exposure 

EA signed a definitive agreement with the consortium in September to sell the company in what will be the largest all-cash take-private deal ever. The transaction is expected to close in six to nine months, subject to regulatory approval.

The PIF already held roughly 10% of EA’s outstanding shares prior to the acquisition and continues to expand its gaming exposure primarily through Savvy Games Group. 

The deal strengthens Saudi Arabia’s growing footprint in the global games industry and aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify its economy beyond oil.