Gaming giant EA to be taken private in a $55bn deal

Electronic Arts, the company behind blockbuster video games such as the Sims and Madden NFL, has agreed to transfer ownership to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund PIF, US private equity firm Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners.  The $55 bn deal marks the largest leveraged buyout in history.  Meanwhile, China is launching a new visa programme to attract young foreign talent, after Washington shocked the tech world with a new $100,000 fee for its H1-B visa.