Video game maker EA bought by Saudi-led group for $55bn

Company acquired in deal involving Affinity Partners, a firm run by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner Electronic Arts, the maker of video games such as The Sims, Madden NFL and Battlefield, has been bought by Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and a group of investors for $55bn (£41bn). The company announced the completion of the deal on Tuesday evening, only days after the EU gave its approval, the final regulatory green light needed. EA is best known for its blockbuster sports games including EA Sports FC (previously called Fifa). In what is one of the biggest buyouts on record, EA Games is being taken private, ending its 36-year history as a publicly traded company. EA was founded by the former Apple employee William “Trip” Hawkins in 1982.

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