Saudi Arabia and Kushner Join Forces in Historic Buyout of Electronic Arts — Why We Should Worry
October 3, 2025
On September 29, the video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) announced plans to go private. In what would be the largest-ever private equity buyout, three entities are set to acquire the gaming giant: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the country’s sovereign wealth fund; Silver Lake Partners, one of the largest technology-focused investors globally that is part of the investor consortium buying the US assets of TikTok; and Affinity Partners, the relatively small investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law.
The planned acquisition has raised eyebrows because of Kushner’s deepening financial ties to autocratic governments in the Middle East, compounded by his more visible role in Trump’s foreign policy. Reporting from Popular Information suggests that PIF brought Kushner’s firm into the deal despite objections from its investment committee, apparently as a way to improve the deal’s chances of approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the interagency body that reviews foreign acquisitions of US companies. Kushner’s inclusion is difficult to view as anything other than another instance of nepotism.
But the concerns extend beyond Kushner. Saudi Arabia’s move to acquire one of the world’s largest video game publishers also highlights the growing political importance of the industry itself. Contemporary video games are not just entertainment; they are communications platforms. Like social media companies, they have the potential to harvest vast amounts of users’ personal and behavioral data. Their in-game chat systems and interactive features serve as hubs for communication and networking among billions of people worldwide. How these spaces are monitored, or left unmoderated, has profound consequences for both players and society.
This matters because Saudi Arabia has a well-documented track record of using digital technology to attack those who criticize its actions. The Saudi government has invested heavily in advanced surveillance technology, prosecuted online dissent, and used spyware against journalists, activists, and even foreign critics. In a country where tweets can land citizens in prison for years, the prospect of Saudi influence over a global gaming platform raises serious questions about how data might be accessed, how speech might be monitored, and whether players’ interactions could be subjected to the same tools of control the Saudi government routinely deploys at home.
The acquisition of EA should be seen as part of Saudi Arabia’s broader soft power strategy. Under its Vision 2030 diversification plan, the kingdom has sought to rebrand itself as a hub of entertainment and technology. PIF has steadily expanded its gaming portfolio: investing $3.3 billion in Activision Blizzard in 2021, taking a stake in Nintendo, founding the Savvy Games Group, and hosting the 2025 ESports World Cup.
These moves are about more than just about financial returns; they are about influence. By embedding itself in industries that shape youth culture and digital communication worldwide, Saudi Arabia is seeking to normalize its global image, expand its cultural reach, and gain leverage in spaces that shape how billions of people connect and interact.
Like other authoritarian governments, Saudi Arabia clearly recognizes the political and cultural influence of video games, especially among young people. As CFIUS reviews the planned acquisition, it should exercise strict scrutiny in weighing both the risks and benefits of this proposed transaction for American consumers. If CFIUS identifies significant risks to the US public, it should be prepared to block the deal, even at the risk of upsetting the President and his family.
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