Senators call for investigation into Saudi attempt to buy EA: “Foreign influence risk”

The recently announced $55 billion all-cash deal for Electronic Arts (EA) to be acquired by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, has drawn sharp criticism and demands for federal scrutiny from U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren. The legislators warn the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) of significant security and foreign influence risks posed by the unprecedented foreign privatization of a major American technology and entertainment company.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who chairs CFIUS, the Senators urged the Committee to apply “searching scrutiny” to the transaction. Their primary concern centers on the PIF’s nature as a strategic arm of the Saudi government, suggesting the acquisition is less about typical financial returns and more about “leveraging long term shifts in public opinion” and projecting influence globally through a popular cultural medium like video games. The Senators noted the investors propose to pay a premium of over $10 billion above EA’s trading value, an indicator that the move is driven by a desire to buy influence rather than pure market logic.

Key concerns: Data security, AI, and editorial control

The move to take EA private, expected to close in Q1 of its fiscal year 2027 (by the end of June 2026), raises significant questions about transparency and player welfare. Senators Blumenthal and Warren highlighted several areas where the deal could negatively impact the player experience and U.S. national interests:

• Player Data and Privacy: The Senators stressed that the Saudi government could gain “unchecked influence over the sensitive personal information” collected from EA’s millions of customers. This unrestricted access by an authoritarian government poses a risk for surveillance, propaganda, and censorship, directly compromising player privacy. The Senators demanded EA explain how it will ensure American customers’ personal data will not be misused by the PIF or the Saudi government.
• Content and Narrative Influence: Taking EA private “threatens to eliminate transparency” and positions the PIF to potentially “dictate or veto what stories are told to Americans through the popular medium of video games,” controlling narratives about U.S. history and culture. The power to influence the content of globally popular titles like Madden NFL or The Sims gives the regime an effective tool to project power worldwide. They asked EA CEO Andrew Wilson to explain how the company will maintain editorial and operational independence under the new ownership.
• The Affinity Partners Connection: The Senators also questioned the involvement of Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, a firm that receives most of its funding from the Saudi Arabian government. They claimed the PIF’s decision to partner with the Trump family member, whose firm previously received a $2 billion PIF investment over internal objections, raises “troubling questions about whether Mr. Kushner is involved in the transaction solely to ensure the federal government’s approval of the transaction.” They suggested the $1 billion termination fee contingency shows the investors are betting on Kushner’s ability to “deliver the Trump Administration’s regulatory approvals.”

While EA continues to be led by CEO Andrew Wilson and remains headquartered in Redwood City, California, the pressure from Washington suggests the acquisition faces substantial regulatory hurdles that could impact the future direction and focus of the major publisher. Will a soap opera like the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft a few years ago repeat?

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