Donald Trump confirmed that four groups are in talks to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations but did not disclose any names or details. Speaking aboard Air Force One, the president suggested a deal could be finalized soon. “There’s a lot of interest,” Trump said, adding that all contenders are “highly qualified.”
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, faces an April 5 deadline to divest its U.S. operations or risk being banned from American app stores under legislation passed during the Biden administration.
Among the potential buyers, major industry figures have surfaced. Trump specifically mentioned Oracle founder Larry Ellison, whose company already partners with TikTok in handling U.S. user data. Another bid involves a group led by billionaire Frank McCourt and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Bloomberg has reported speculation that Elon Musk could be involved, though the Tesla chief has denied any interest.
Other contenders include artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI and a consortium led by entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley, which includes YouTube personality Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast.
The U.S. market remains highly lucrative for TikTok, with the platform valued at around $50 billion last year. However, Beijing appears intent on maintaining control through ByteDance, which also owns Douyin, the Chinese version of the app.
Trump hinted that the government might extend the sale deadline, as it did when postponing the original January 19 cutoff. One proposal reportedly under consideration would grant the U.S. government a 50% stake in the platform—a move ByteDance has so far rejected.
ByteDance, valued at more than $400 billion according to SoftBank, recently repurchased shares worth $312 billion. Ultimately, any deal will depend on Chinese regulators, who have been reluctant to relinquish control over the platform.
