ALBAWABA – As the popular TikTok platform resumes operations in the United States after President-elect Donald Trump announced a 75-day postponement of the TikTok ban, reports indicate that Trump is seeking potential buyers for the platform. This move is part of the proposed solutions to address concerns over TikTok’s ties to China.
A list of potential TikTok buyers
A list of potential buyers has been proposed in the US who could purchase and operate the application in the country, but these buyers are likely to face numerous challenges and obstacles.
According to sources, Trump proposed the idea of selling the application to an American stakeholder, who would then sell 50% of the company to the US government, allowing it to be involved in running the platform.
Elon Musk
The first proposed name on the list is Elon Musk, the American businessman and political figure known for his key roles in the automotive company Tesla, Inc. and the space company SpaceX.
Notably, Musk is now leading Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a temporary organization under the United States DOGE Service, formerly known as the United States Digital Service.
Musk is known to have close ties with China and has expressed strong opposition to the decision to ban TikTok.
Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal have previously reported that Musk considered acquiring TikTok, and Shou Zi Chew, TikTok’s CEO, had connected with Musk to discuss the platform's potential ban.
Trump proposed the idea of selling the application to an American stakeholder, who would then sell 50% of the company to the US government, allowing it to be involved in running the platform. (Shutterstock)
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, Chief Technology Officer of Oracle, is another name on the list. Trump has previously stated that he welcomes Ellison's bid for the purchase of TikTok.
It is worth mentioning that Oracle currently operates as a cloud infrastructure provider for ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, in the US.
Previously, Ellison made a bid to buy the famous platform in 2020 when Trump firstly hinted for the TikTok ban.
″We believe Oracle/Ellison could play a pivotal role in any deal given their key technology partnership with TikTok and his appearance at the White House with Project Stargate,” Wedbush, a privately held financial services firm based in Los Angeles, said.
MrBeast
MrBeast, James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson, better known by his online alias MrBeast, is an American YouTuber, media personality, and businessman.
MrBeast currently has more than 100 million followers on the famous application. The famous influencer posted multiple videos in which he indicated his interest in buying TikTok and stated that he has a ready offer.
“Several potential buyers are in ongoing discussions with Jimmy, but he has no exclusive agreements with any of them,” said Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesperson for Donaldson.
TikTok ban in the US
TikTok, the social media platform that allows users to create, share, and discover short-form videos, was officially banned in the US on January 19.
The decision came after the Supreme Court ruled to ban the popular app in the country, citing concerns over potential user data collection and influence operations by China.
Notably, TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese internet technology company.
