Core Insights - Electronic Arts (EA) is being acquired for $55 billion, marking the largest leveraged buyout attempt in history [1] - The acquisition involves Silver Lake Partners, Saudi Arabia's PIF, and Affinity Partners, with EA's stockholders set to receive $210 per share [1] - This deal will take EA private, ending its 36-year history as a publicly traded company [2] Company Background - EA was founded by William "Trip" Hawkins, a former Apple employee, and went public seven years later, with its shares initially trading at a split-adjusted $0.52 [2] - The current CEO, Andrew Wilson, has been leading the company since 2013 [3] Previous Transactions - Silver Lake has a history of significant technology acquisitions, including the $1.9 billion buyout of Skype in 2009 and a $24.9 billion buyout of Dell in 2013 [4] - Dell returned to the stock market in 2018 after restructuring as a private company [4] Financial Performance - EA's annual revenues have stagnated over the past three fiscal years, ranging from $7.4 billion to $7.6 billion [5] - The company faces increased competition from mobile game makers like Epic Games and was previously rivaled by Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft for nearly $69 billion in 2023 [6] Operational Changes - Going private may allow EA to restructure its operations without the pressures of meeting quarterly financial targets [5] - Historically, companies taken private often undergo cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, although there is no indication this will occur with EA following recent workforce reductions [7]

It is turning into gold’s best year in decades. Bullion has hit a series of record highs in 2025, putting it firmly on track for its strongest annual performance since 1979, when revolution in Tehran rocked the global economy.Why is gold in such demand?The short answer is that gold is acting as a haven and a store of value, a role it’s played for thousands of years, since the kingdom of Lydia started churning out gold coins in the sixth century BC. Investors can be a jumpy lot, and there are plenty of reaso ...

Group 1 - Sinclair Broadcast Group will resume airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC-affiliate stations, ending the preemption that affected about 25% of TV viewers in the US [1][3] - Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group are the largest owners of local TV stations in the US, with Sinclair owning over 185 stations and Nexstar owning 200 stations [2] - Sinclair has proposed measures to strengthen accountability and viewer feedback to ABC, including an independent ombudsman, but ABC and Disney have not agreed to these measures [3][7] Group 2 - The controversy surrounding Kimmel began when FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened regulatory action against broadcasters regarding Kimmel's comments [4] - Nexstar was the first to announce the preemption of Kimmel's show, which led to ABC pausing production for almost a week [5] - Sinclair emphasized that its decision to preempt Kimmel was independent of government influence, asserting the right to exercise judgment over local content [7][8]

Facebook and Instagram users in the UK are to be offered advert-free versions of the social networks for up to £3.99 a month.Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has responded to regulatory warnings over personalised adverts, in which users’ data is crunched to produce targeted ads, by launching an ad-free subscription service.Web users will be charged £2.99 a month and mobile phone users £3.99 a month to scroll through Facebook and Instagram without targeted ads. If the accounts are linked, users only need to pay one mo ...

Core Insights - The Abu Dhabi royal family, through MGX, will acquire a 15% stake in TikTok's US business, which is valued at $14 billion following an executive order by Donald Trump [1][2] - The deal will result in American companies controlling over 65% of TikTok US, with significant investments from Oracle, Silver Lake, and other notable investors [2][3] - ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, will retain a 19.9% stake in the US operation, ensuring a minority interest in the business [3] Group 1 - The deal is part of a broader effort to ensure TikTok US is majority-owned and controlled by American investors, addressing privacy and national security concerns [3][4] - The valuation of TikTok US at $14 billion is significantly lower than ByteDance's overall valuation of approximately $330 billion [5] - The future of TikTok US had been uncertain due to legislative pressures and national security concerns, prompting the need for a sale [6] Group 2 - The deal is expected to enhance user confidence regarding data privacy, as it aims to protect American users' data from potential misuse [4] - Trump indicated that the deal had received a positive response from Chinese President Xi Jinping, although official approval from China remains unclear [4] - The involvement of high-profile investors like Larry Ellison and Rupert Murdoch underscores the strategic importance of the deal for the US market [2][3]

A group of Disney investors is asking the company to turn over documents related to the company’s decision to temporarily suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, amid charges the media company may have been “complicit in succumbing” to media censorship.The investors, composed of lawyers for the American Federation of Teachers and Reporters Without Borders, noted that Disney’s stock “suffered significant declines in response to the company’s abrupt decision to suspend Mr. Kimmel and his show”, it said in a l ...

Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5bn in fines and redress to Prime subscribers to settle a lawsuit by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which accused the retail giant of signing users up for the service without their consent and making it difficult to cancel.In a statement, the FTC said $1.5bn of the total will go into a fund to repay eligible subscribers.Amazon has been contacted for comment.The FTC – the US agency charged with consumer protection - sued Amazon in 2023, accusing the company of enrolling te ...

Starbucks will lay off around 900 staff and pull down the shutters on some 100 cafes across North America as part of a $1bn restructuring plan to revive the world’s largest coffee chain.The business, which eliminated 1,100 corporate positions earlier this year, will also close “many” open or vacant positions as it notifies affected employees affected by cuts on Friday.The 900 Starbucks staff hit by the restructuring work in “non-retail” roles, the company said. It will also close 1% of the coffee houses it ...

Apple has called for the European Commission to repeal a swathe of technology legislation, warning that unless it is amended the company could stop shipping some products and services to the 27-country bloc.In the latest of a series of clashes with Brussels, the iPhone maker said the Digital Markets Act was leading to a worse experience for Apple users, exposing them to security risks, and disrupting the seamless way Apple products work together.The Silicon Valley company hit out in a submission to the comm ...

Core Viewpoint - The Walt Disney Company is increasing the prices of its streaming services, including Disney+ and bundles with Hulu and ESPN, amidst recent controversies surrounding Jimmy Kimmel's late night show suspension [1][2][3] Pricing Changes - Starting from 21 October, the Disney+ and Hulu package will rise from $10.99 to $12.99, while the ad-free plan remains at $19.99 [2] - Plans that include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN with ads will increase from $16.99 to $19.99 [2] - This marks the fourth consecutive year that Disney+ has raised its streaming prices since its launch in 2019 [6] Consumer Reactions - Consumers have reacted to the Kimmel controversy by canceling their subscriptions to Disney+ and its bundles [3] - A spokesperson for the company stated that the price increases were planned for months and not related to the Kimmel situation [3] Context of Kimmel's Suspension - Kimmel's suspension followed comments he made regarding the Make America Great Again movement in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, which were deemed offensive [4][5] - Nexstar Media Group, which owns 28 ABC affiliates, pulled Kimmel's show due to the comments, leading Disney to suspend it as well [5] - The "cancel Disney+" campaign reportedly caused more subscriber churn than previous Netflix boycotts [5]