Reports indicate that Jared Kushner introduced Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to EA CEO Andrew Wilson. The two subsequently met in Saudi Arabia's NEOM, an encounter that later evolved into a $55 billion acquisition deal for EA.
In a profile piece detailing Jared Kushner's diplomatic activities, The New Yorker revealed that Kushner regularly plays video games with Mohammed bin Salman. In August 2026, Kushner facilitated an introduction between the Crown Prince and Andrew Wilson, after which the two met in NEOM, a new city on the Red Sea coast, and played a round of golf.
A U.S. source with ties to Middle Eastern leaders stated that it was Kushner who brought the deal to Mohammed bin Salman. Shortly thereafter, the Crown Prince assembled a consortium, including Kushner's Affinity Partners, to acquire EA for $55 billion. Related reports have described it as the largest leveraged buyout in history.
The deal also raised potential regulatory concerns, including the issue of EA holding a vast amount of users' private data. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which is responsible for reviewing such transactions, comprises multiple federal agencies, with the U.S. President having the final say on the review outcome.
According to the timeline disclosed in the profile, the EA acquisition deal was approved in August 2026. However, existing information does not specify which games Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman actually play together.