We know EA has new owners. But who owns EA now that its $55 billion buyout is complete?
The answer is more one-sided than you might expect.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund reportedly owns 93.4% of EA’s new parent company. Silver Lake holds 5.5%, while Affinity Partners holds the remaining 1.1%.
That means PIF has by far the largest stake in the company that ultimately controls The Sims.
Who Owns EA After the Buyout?
EA officially completed its acquisition on August 4, 2026.
The company confirmed that PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners had successfully completed the deal. EA also became a private company and stopped trading on the public stock market.
Read EA’s official acquisition announcement
However, EA’s announcement doesn’t give us the ownership percentages.
Those details first emerged through a filing with Brazil’s antitrust regulator. The Wall Street Journal reported the breakdown as:
- PIF – 93.4%
- Silver Lake – 5.5%
- Affinity Partners – 1.1%
Read The Wall Street Journal’s report on EA’s ownership structure
So, although three investors bought EA together, their stakes are far from equal.
PIF Went From Around 10% of EA to 93.4%
PIF already owned part of Electronic Arts before the takeover.
EA’s final annual report shows that PIF owned 9.83% of EA’s outstanding shares as of July 2026.
See EA’s SEC filing showing PIF’s previous 9.83% stake
The completed acquisition changes that relationship dramatically.
PIF reportedly went from owning around one-tenth of the public company to controlling more than nine-tenths of EA’s new ownership structure.
That gives us a much clearer picture of who sits behind EA today.
Does PIF Literally Own The Sims?
There is an important technical distinction here.
PIF did not separately purchase The Sims from EA.
Electronic Arts still owns The Sims franchise and Maxis.
The investor consortium acquired Electronic Arts itself. EA now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the new parent company created for the transaction.
Because PIF reportedly controls 93.4% of that parent company, it holds the overwhelming majority of the ownership behind EA.
So, saying PIF simply “bought The Sims” skips a few corporate steps.
However, it now holds the dominant financial stake in the company that owns the franchise.
What About Silver Lake and Affinity Partners?
Silver Lake and Affinity Partners still form part of EA’s new ownership group.
However, their combined reported stakes only reach 6.6%.
Silver Lake holds 5.5%, while Affinity Partners holds 1.1%.
That makes PIF’s position especially notable.
When EA first announced the takeover, it often referred to the three buyers collectively as a consortium. That wording didn’t necessarily show how heavily the ownership would lean towards one member.
The later ownership breakdown makes that much clearer.
What Does This Mean for The Sims?
For now, EA continues to operate The Sims as normal.
Andrew Wilson remains EA’s CEO. Maxis continues developing The Sims 4 and future Sims projects.
EA has not announced any ownership-related changes to the franchise’s development or creative direction.
Still, understanding who owns EA matters when discussing the future of The Sims.
This isn’t a company split evenly between three new investors.
If the reported ownership figures are correct, PIF controls 93.4% of the company behind Electronic Arts.
That’s a much bigger piece of the EA buyout story than the original list of three buyers might have suggested.
