by Zaheer Kachwala

(Reuters) – The video game giant Electronic Arts, which is the source of titles such as “Battlefield” or “Sims”, announced its acquisition on Monday by a consortium of investors for a record amount of $ 55 billion.

The consortium is made up of Silver Lake, the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) and Affinity Partners, the investment company of Jared Kushner, the son -in -law of US President Donald Trump.

This operation, which includes the withdrawal of the company’s scholarship, shows that investors with important resources are focusing on the sustainable value of successful game franchises, while the sector is recovering from prolonged slowdown.

It would also be the largest lever -effect acquisition (LBO) never recorded, eclipstating the acquisition of TXU Energy in 2007 and other significant transactions of this decade, such as those of the TOYS “R” US store chain and the HERTZ car rental company.

It is also part of a context of resumption of mergers and acquisitions worldwide, the drop in financing costs having rekindled interest in large -scale transactions.

Under the terms of the agreement, EA shareholders will receive $ 210 per action in cash, which represents a bonus of 25% compared to the closing course of September 25, before the publication of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporting a possible agreement.

The action advances 4.9% around 2:30 p.m. GMT.

According to Reuters calculations, the value of the operation amounts to $ 52.54 billion.

The buyout offer comes at a crucial time for EA, which puts a lot on its sports game portfolio and the intellectual property of its action games to overcome the gloom of the sector, the players being more and more cautious in their expenses.

Electronic Arts is about to launch the highly anticipated “Battlefield 6” in a sector where players favor proven and recognizable titles.

“Although the price of the offer of $ 210 per share may seem attractive, we believe that it is significantly lower than the intrinsic value of the company,” said Benchmark analysts.

“With Battlefield 6 about to go out and a pipeline that could add more than $ 2 billion in additional reservations by the 2028 financial year, the real EA beneficiary capacity only begins to emerge,” they added.

Electronic Arts said that the operation consisted of an investment in stocks of approximately $ 36 billion and in borrowing of $ 20 billion engaged by JPMorgan, of which $ 18 billion should be financed at the end of the operation.

The transaction should be finalized during the first quarter of the 2027 fiscal year.

(Written by Zaheer Kachwala in Bangalore; Diana Mandia, edited by Kate Entringer)

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