Video game creator Electronic Arts, the force behind the well-known “Battlefield” and “Madden NFL” titles, was long sought after by tech-focused buyout firm Silver Lake.
According to three people familiar with the discussions, US President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Silver Lake investors began formulating ideas for what turned out to be the largest leveraged buyout in history at a brainstorming session this spring. According to one source, Kushner and Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban initiated the discussions.
According to the sources, the $55 billion transaction, which was backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), will expand Silver Lake’s portfolio of gaming, sports, and entertainment while providing the sovereign wealth fund with an asset that it could wish to keep for a long time.
