The European Commission has approved the $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts (EA) by a Saudi-led consortium, clearing the deal under EU merger rules. Multiple outlets report that the European Commission concludes the transaction does not raise competition concerns. Under the proposed terms, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will work alongside US investment firm Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, which was founded by Jared Kushner, to take ownership of EA. The approval is described as a key step toward completion, though the acquisition is not yet finalized. The Commission’s decision indicates that the transaction meets the required regulatory threshold for EU competition review at the merger stage. Other reporting characterizes the deal as potentially among the largest private leveraged buyouts on record, but the central point across sources is the Commission’s clearance and its finding that there are no competition issues under its assessment. The companies can now proceed with the next steps required to complete the acquisition, subject to any remaining conditions outside the EU merger approval process.