- President Donald Trump announced that a sale of TikTok might be in the works, with four groups interested in acquiring the social media giant. He mentioned that the decision is up to him and that all four groups are good candidates.
- TikTok’s ownership change is required by a law enacted on Jan. 19, with a deadline extension until April 5, pending approval from Beijing.
- Among those interested in acquiring TikTok are businessman Frank McCourt, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, YouTube star MrBeast (Jesse Tinsley), and the AI company Perplexity.
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President Donald Trump said a sale of TikTok may be in the works, adding that four groups are interested in acquiring the social media giant. He called the four groups “good,” and claimed the final decision was up to him.
“We’re dealing with four different groups, and a lot of people want it. It’s up to me, so there could be a sale. All four are good,” he said.
Trump made the comments Sunday night, March 9, aboard Air Force One, after spending the weekend in Florida.
Why does TikTok need a new owner?
TikTok’s future has been uncertain since a law took effect on Jan. 19, requiring a change of ownership. Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement of the ban until April 5. Any sale would need approval from Beijing, as ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is based in China.
Following Trump’s inauguration, Chinese officials suggested such a deal might be possible. However, that was before the implementation of 20% tariffs on all Chinese imports.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.
“If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” the spokesperson wrote.
Among those publicly interested in acquiring TikTok are businessman Frank McCourt, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, YouTube star MrBeast (Jesse Tinsley) and the AI company Perplexity. Trump also mentioned Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation. Oracle worked with TikTok to host U.S. data.
When asked Thursday, March 6, whether he plans to extend the deadline if a deal isn’t finalized, Trump responded, “Probably.”
