The Information's TITV EA’s $55B Buyout, Snowflake’s AI Data Strategy, Humanoid Robots Learning Dexterity | Sep 29, 2025
Sep 29, 2025
Cory Weinberg, Deputy Bureau Chief of Finance at The Information, dives into EA's monumental $55 billion buyout, dissecting the financial giants behind the deal, including Jared Kushner's Affinity. Rodney Brooks, founder of Robust AI and co-creator of iRobot, shares a technical reality check on humanoid robots, discussing their challenges with dexterity, safety risks, and the evolution of robot design. The conversation also touches on NVIDIA's race in AI as driven by competitive fears and the hurdles of corporate data access in AI projects.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
EA: Hits Business In Transition
- EA's business is a hits-driven game undergoing a slow shift to subscriptions and platforms.
- Private equity sees transitioning consumer models as easier to fix away from quarterly public scrutiny.
Deal Backed By Sovereign Cash And Silver Lake
- Sovereign wealth and big tech-focused PE shaped the EA bid and reduced fundraising friction.
- Silver Lake targets large, consumer and media plays rather than small growth equity deals.
Political Connections Matter In Big LBOs
- Saudi capital and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners are central to EA's financing.
- Their involvement may ease regulatory pathways when foreign capital participates.