President Donald Trump expressed late Monday his desire for a “bidding war” over TikTok, stating that Microsoft is now among those companies interested in acquiring ByteDance’s popular app to avoid a U.S. ban.
Trump noted that Microsoft— which made an offer to purchase the app in 2020—was one of the businesses considering buying TikTok, although he did not elaborate further (Microsoft did not provide an immediate comment).
Oracle has been in discussions for a deal that would see it and other U.S. investors, possibly including Microsoft, obtain a majority stake in TikTok while allowing China-based ByteDance to retain a minority stake, reported NPR on Saturday, emphasizing that the negotiations are still “in flux”—following the collapse of a similar agreement involving Oracle in 2020 (Trump stated on Saturday that he has “never spoken” with Ellison about a TikTok acquisition).
Perplexity AI has made an offer to ByteDance to merge its company with TikTok and New Capital Partners, which would enable most of ByteDance’s investors to keep their equity stakes, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNBC.
Chinese officials have looked into the possibility of selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as China contemplates its relationship with Trump, whose connections to Musk have strengthened in recent months, according to Bloomberg (ByteDance responded to Bloomberg’s claims by telling Forbes that it “cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction”).
YouTuber MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, posted on X that he would “buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned,” later claiming that he had “so many billionaires” contact him and stated he would “see if we can make this happen.”
Project Liberty, an internet advocacy group led by billionaire Frank McCourt, put forth a proposal—supported by “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary, Guggenheim Securities, and others—on Jan. 9 to acquire TikTok’s U.S.-based assets, asserting that the group would revamp the company to gather less user data.
O’Leary mentioned to Fox that he put $20 billion “on the table” for TikTok, noting that the Supreme Court endorsed a law forbidding the app in the U.S. to facilitate its sale to an “American syndicate.”
A former TikTok employee suggested to Forbes that Amazon might be interested in acquiring the app, as Amazon—the third-largest advertiser on the platform—has strengthened its relationship with TikTok following a partnership that allows users to browse and buy Amazon products on the app.
The video-sharing platform Rumble extended an offer to purchase TikTok in March 2024, stating that the company was “prepared to join a consortium with other parties” to buy the app, although neither Rumble nor CEO Chris Pavlovski revealed specifics about the proposal.
Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard, showed interest in buying TikTok and has discussed the idea with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and others to help finance the purchase, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, although Kotick has yet to make a public statement regarding the offer.
Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin informed CNBC in March 2024 that he intended to “assemble a group” to buy TikTok, later mentioning to Bloomberg in May that he had contacted “numerous tech firms” regarding acquiring the app and recreating its algorithm, which ByteDance has indicated would not be part of a sale.
Forbes Valuation
Musk is currently the richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $428.8 billion. Ellison ranks as the third-richest individual globally, with a net worth of $228.1 billion. McCourt, the previous owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has a documented net worth of $1.4 billion.
Reasons for TikTok’s Potential Sale
A law enacted by Congress and signed by former President Joe Biden last year prohibits TikTok in the United States unless ByteDance divests the app—a decision motivated by national security issues concerning ByteDance’s connections to China. The ban commenced on Jan. 19, leading TikTok to go offline for over 12 hours, but the platform resumed services in the U.S. after Trump promised to extend the deadline for a sale. The prohibition is now slated to take effect in around 75 days due to an executive order signed by Trump, who has advocated for the platform to be acquired by a joint venture that includes ByteDance and new U.S.-based proprietors. TikTok has resisted the legislation and contended that selling its U.S. operations would be impractical, claiming in a May legal filing that the proposed ban was “simply not possible— not commercially, not technologically, not legally.”
What Companies Have Attempted to Acquire TikTok?
In August 2020, Microsoft reportedly made an offer to purchase TikTok from ByteDance, and while the deal—described by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as the “strangest thing I’ve ever worked on”—was close to completion, it ultimately fell through. In September 2020, Oracle and Walmart declared that they had secured a deal to take over TikTok, but this agreement was halted after the Biden administration allegedly intervened to address concerns about the app’s security risks.
How Much Is TikTok Valued At?
According to Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, the financial services firm estimated TikTok’s value at around $100 billion, including its algorithm. Ives has also indicated that ByteDance might anticipate a valuation of $40 billion to $50 billion for the platform’s operations in the United States.
Key Background
TikTok has faced criticism from various quarters, with concerns that the app may collect data from American users or disseminate government propaganda. Forbes has previously reported instances of TikTok spying on journalists, allowing Chinese propaganda on the platform that criticizes U.S. politicians, allegedly mismanaging user data—including sensitive information like financial details, Social Security numbers, and personal contacts—and tracking “sensitive words.” In response, TikTok and ByteDance have denied any misconduct or connections to the Chinese government, asserting that they have never shared user data with government entities and that data from American users is stored domestically.
MrBeast aka Jimmy Donaldson
One notable individual interested in investing in TikTok is YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known online as MrBeast.
He is part of a group of investors led by Jesse Tinsley, the founder of Recruiter.com, that are presenting an “all-cash offer,” as stated by US law firm Paul Hastings LLP last week and a post on X.
Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesperson for MrBeast, informed the Associated Press that Donaldson is engaged in discussions with multiple buyers, and currently, there are no exclusive agreements in place with anyone.
Donaldson had first mentioned on X earlier this month that he might consider purchasing TikTok, just days before the initial ban was set to take effect.
In a subsequent post, he claimed that “many billionaires” had contacted him to facilitate the deal.
In a follow-up TikTok video on Wednesday, Donaldson asserted that he is “serious about this” and has a proposal ready for the platform.
“We aim to acquire the platform; America deserves TikTok,” Donaldson declared in the video. “Allow me a role in this, let me help save this platform.”
He has since updated his biography on the platform to read “future CEO of TikTok?”
MrBeast stands as one of the most successful internet creators globally, boasting over 500 million followers across his various social media channels.
He reportedly earned around $85 million (€81.3 million) in 2024, according to estimates from Forbes.
Frank McCourt and The People’s Bid
The initial competitor in the latest bidding war for TikTok was billionaire Frank McCourt, a US real estate tycoon and former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
McCourt established “The People’s Bid,” a coalition comprising law firms, technologists, academics, and citizens aiming to acquire TikTok with the mission of “centering people and data empowerment in the platform’s design and purpose,” in 2024 as mentioned on their website.
“The current foundation of our digital infrastructure is flawed, and it’s time for change,” McCourt stated in a press release issued in May 2024.
“We view this potential acquisition as a remarkable chance to foster an alternative to the existing tech model that has taken over the internet.”
The consortium announced in December that it had secured undisclosed commitments from investors amounting to over $20 billion (€19.1 billion) in capital, according to the AP.
Trump’s Perspective on TikTok
If President Trump had his way, TikTok would be transferred to either Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison.
Trump remarked to reporters during a press briefing shortly after his inauguration that he would be “open” to either Musk or Ellison purchasing the platform, as per CNBC.
Musk’s name surfaced when Bloomberg reported that Chinese officials were discussing selling part of the app’s operations in the US to him.
Musk expressed on his social media platform X that he has long opposed a TikTok ban, stating that such a move infringes on “freedom of speech.”
“However, the current situation where TikTok can operate in America while X is prohibited from operating in China is unbalanced,” Musk noted.
On the other hand, Ellison has not publicly addressed a TikTok acquisition during this round, although Oracle previously won a bid in 2020 to become the app’s cloud technology provider.
One condition of that agreement was that Oracle became a minority investor in TikTok Global, as stated by Oracle CEO Safra Catz in a press release at the time.
Catz expressed confidence in their ability to provide a “highly secure environment for TikTok and guarantee data privacy for its American users.”
Other possible buyers
Other potential buyers include Steven Mnuchin, a former US Treasury Secretary, who reaffirmed his desire to invest in the app on CNBC recently.
Bobby Kotick, the former chief executive of Activision, could also be in the running, according to reports.
The Wall Street Journal reported last year that Kotick approached OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other investors during a conference dinner to express his interest in acquiring the app.
Euronews Next has reached out to TikTok representatives and all the prospective buyers mentioned in this article but did not receive immediate replies.