Who is going to buy TikTok in the U.S.? A list
TikTok has a deadline before which it must sell in the U.S. or face a ban. Here’s who may end up the new owner of the social video platform.
TikTok‘s existence in the United States is in question. The U.S. congress has ordered the huge video sharing platform to divest itself of U.S. operations over security concerns. President Trump’s executive order has extended the deadline for a TikTok sale or ban, but the clock is till ticking.
American investors may be interested, but TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance has not confirmed their interest or willingness to sell. Congress claim concerns over TikTok’s U.S. data being used by the Chinese government, however it’s suggested that the Chinese government aren’t willing to pass over their algorithms.
With rumours abound over who could step in to buy TikTok if ByteDance sale, Trump seems to leading narratives both over a sale being on the table and who may invest. Let’s look at who’s on the table to buy one of the world’s biggest social media apps.
Elon Musk
Musk hasn’t expressed interest personally, but he has been floated as a potential buyer by Trump multiple times. Musk’s businesses perform well in China, so their relationship is potentially on good existing grounds to convince ByteDance and the Chinese government to approve.
The People’s Bid for TikTok
The People’s Bid aims to take control of TikTok and redefine its digital infrastructure to “prioritize privacy and give users control over their date”. They have received support and investment from a range of sources including policymakers and technologists.
Citizens can add their name to the pledge. They are currently offering $20 billion.
Leading Tech Industry Figures
A number of significant tech figures – including employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley, Roblox CEO David Baszucki, and Anchorage Digital CEO Nathan McCauley – are pooling together for a bid at TikTok. There are rumours of YouTuber MrBeast’s involvement though a spokesperson for him clarifies he has made no commitments.
Referencing The People’s Bid’s offer, they have named their offer as exceeding $20 billion with no precise figure given.
Bobby Kotick
Kotick has gone straight to ByteDance executive chair Zhang Yiming to express interest. The one-time Activision Blizzard CEO has confirmed he will offer “hundreds of billions of dollars” to The Wall Street Journal.
MrBeast
Speaking of the famous YouTuber, MrBeast has been connected to a number of potential bids for the social media app. There are no confirmations of either who he may be involved with or whether he will contribute in the first place.
Steven Mnuchin
The former Treasury Secretary is reportedly putting together an investor group to purchase TIkTok. Details of the group and its offer are unconfirmed.
Microsoft
Back in 2020, when TikTok’s place in the U.S. was originally threatened by Trump, Microsoft made a bid for it. The huge U.S. tech company hasn’t expressed any interest this time around, but Trump himself has mentioned them as a potential bidder.
Oracle
Like Microsoft, Oracle made a bid for TikTok in 2020. They are currently involved with TikTok’s operations, managing and securing their user data in the U.S..
It could make sense for an Oracle bid and the name has been put forward in regards to a TikTok buyout. However, Trump has denied it, saying that Oracle chairman Larry Ellison would have told him if it was on the cards.
Meta
Mark Zuckerberg has expressed interest in the app and rumours have spread about a buyout. The purchase makes sense for the company which owns and runs Facebook but would raise concerns over a monopoly on significant social media platforms.
Alphabet/Google
Google have also expressed interest in a TikTok buyout, but would similarly to Meta face opposition because of antitrust laws. CEO Eric Schmidt reportedly believes that the government should regulate TikTok.