What happens when private equity becomes video gaming's 'final boss'

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

WBUR

Talk Show, Daily News, News, Npr, On Point, Daily

4.2 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Private equity firms are poised to take over iconic video game maker Electronic Arts in a massive leveraged buyout. What happens when private equity owns the games you play.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for this podcast comes from Is Business Broken, a podcast from the Mayrotra Institute at BU Questrum School of Business.
0:08.3	When does self-regulation go too far? A recent episode looks at high-stakes antitrust battles and more.
0:15.5	Stick around until the end of this podcast for a preview of a recent episode.
0:20.8	WBUR Podcasts, Boston. this podcast for a preview of a recent episode.
0:23.7	WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
0:35.3	This fall, three private equity firms made one of those industry shaking announcements.
0:42.9	The firms are California-based Silver Lake, which currently has $110 billion in combined assets.
0:50.1	Saudi Arabia's government public investment fund, more than $920 billion in assets.
0:55.5	And Affinity Partners, founded by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Trump.
1:05.5	Affinity Partners has almost $5 billion in assets, most of which it has purchased using funds from Qatar and the Saudi government.
1:19.3	Now, these three big firms announced that they are buying a company in a monster, $55 billion, all-cash deal. It is the largest leveraged buyout in U.S. history.
1:25.3	The company, which was publicly traded, will soon be privately owned by the firms.
1:32.2	So what company could command such interest, such a price tag? Interestingly, it is not a computer
1:40.9	or a chipmaker. It is not a social media behemoth or a global retailer.
1:47.5	It is not an AI unicorn.
1:50.3	This company makes video games. This is On Point. I'm Megyn Chakrabardi. Back in December, specifically December 20th, 2011, Stormtroopers, the Rebel Legion, and Chewbacca himself stood on Adias in one of the world's largest
2:19.6	financial markets. They waited patiently until they were joined by a man in a dark suit,
2:25.3	crisp white shirt, and green tie. I hope a battle doesn't break out right behind me. And in this
2:31.5	moment, Rebel forces, the Empire and Chewy instead of battling each other for the future of a faraway galaxy, stood united by a common goal.
2:40.8	I'm extremely delighted to welcome Electronic Arts and all the members from the Star Wars group here to ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ market site.
2:48.4	Electronic Arts. The iconic video game maker, one of the best known in the multi-billion dollar gaming industry.
2:56.7	Company reps gathered to ring NASDAQ's opening bell that day for two reasons.
	...

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