Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he is fine with billionaire Elon Musk or Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison purchasing the popular social media app TikTok, should they be interested, a Bloomberg report said. The short video app, used by 170 million Americans, was temporarily taken offline just before a law came into effect on Sunday. The law required its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell the app or face a ban due to national security concerns.
Reports from Bloomberg News last week suggested that Chinese officials were exploring the possibility of selling TikTok’s US operations to Musk. However, ByteDance has denied these claims.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order postponing the enforcement of the law by 75 days. This delay came after US officials raised concerns about the potential misuse of Americans’ data under ByteDance’s control. Despite this, TikTok remained unavailable for download on Apple and Android devices in the US as of Tuesday afternoon.
When asked about if he was open to Musk potentially purchasing TikTok, Trump responded, “I would be, if he wanted to buy it.” He also noted discussions with TikTok’s major stakeholders, adding, “What I’m thinking of saying to somebody is, ‘Buy it and give half to the United States of America.’”
The proposed ban has sparked criticism from free speech advocates, who argue it conflicts with constitutional rights. TikTok has maintained that its US user data is securely stored on Oracle-operated servers and that content moderation decisions for US users are made domestically.
Elon Musk has expressed opposition to banning TikTok, viewing it as a violation of free speech. However, he also highlighted the unfairness of TikTok being allowed in the US while platforms like X are restricted in China.
YouTuber Mr Beast to buy TikTok?
According to Bloomberg, Essie Tinsley, CEO of workforce management firm Employer.com, is spearheading what may be one of the year’s most ambitious acquisition campaigns.
Last month, Employer.com revealed plans to acquire Bench, a Canadian accounting startup that unexpectedly shut down during the holidays. Now, Tinsley and Employer.com have teamed up with YouTuber MrBeast and others to place an all-cash bid to purchase TikTok, Bloomberg reported.
Details about the bid’s value remain undisclosed. The group’s legal team reportedly includes Brad Bondi, the brother of Pam Bondi, a former Trump attorney general nominee.
