Donald Trump says a buyer for TikTok may be finalised soon.
Share this @internewscast.com
After months of speculation and multiple bids from would-be American buyers, TikTok may finally be getting a new owner.
President Donald Trump teased over the weekend that there is a buyer for TikTok, whom he will announce in two weeks, which could secure the app’s long-term future in the United States.

“We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way. I think I’ll need probably China approval, and I think President Xi will probably do it,” President Donald Trump said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

Donald Trump says a buyer for TikTok may be finalised soon.
Donald Trump says a buyer for TikTok may be finalised soon. (iStock)

He added: “It’s a group of very wealthy people.”

TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is on the clock to spin off the popular short-form video app’s US operations by September 17 or face a ban in the United States.

Trump has repeatedly delayed enforcement of the TikTok sale-or-ban law signed by then-President Joe Biden last year — which was originally set to go into effect in January — in hopes of making a deal for an American owner to acquire the app.

The app is used by about 170 million Americans to find news, entertainment, community and, in some cases, to make a living.

It remains unclear whether the Chinese government would bless the sale of TikTok by its China-based owner.

In April, a deal that would have transferred majority control of TikTok’s US operations to American ownership was nearly finalised.

But it fell apart after Trump announced additional tariffs on China, forcing the White House to announce another 75-day delay to keep the app operational in the United States.

“Discussions with China regarding the sale of TikTok have been ongoing at the highest level, and they will continue,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing on Monday.

“As you know, we have another 90-day extension, and it’s just to continue to work out this deal and make sure that TikTok stays on for the American people — that’s the president’s main goal in this, while protecting their privacy and their security.”

ByteDance and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

Here’s what we know about who could buy TikTok.

Group of unnamed investors, tech companies had already been primed to buy TikTok

Perhaps the most likely buyer for TikTok is a group of investors primed to acquire it in April before tariffs caused negotiations to stall.

Under that deal, a number of venture capital firms, private equity funds and tech giants were set to invest in a company that would control TikTok’s US operations, with ByteDance retaining a 20 per cent stake in the spinoff company, a source familiar with the deal told CNN at the time.

For the deal to comply with the law, ByteDance can own no more than 20 per cent of the platform.

The law also states that the app’s US operations cannot coordinate with ByteDance on the app’s algorithm or data-sharing practices.

ByteDance logo on Shanghai headquarters (VCG/Getty)
ByteDance is the Chinese tech company that developed Tiktok. (VCG/Getty)

At the time of Trump’s April extension, the White House did not name the parties with whom it had been discussing a TikTok takeover deal.

But the source familiar with the discussions told CNN that new and existing US TikTok investors, ByteDance and the Trump administration had all agreed to the deal.

Earlier this year, multiple news outlets, including Politico, NPR and Bloomberg reported that Oracle — TikTok’s current US technology partner — was a top contender to take over the app’s US operations, potentially in partnership with the app’s American investors, such as private equity firm General Atlantic and investment firm Susquehanna International Group.

Oracle and Susquehanna did not immediately respond Monday to CNN’s requests for comment.

A representative for General Atlantic declined to comment.

There are several other prominent bidders who have also raised their hands to acquire the platform’s US operations.

They include a group led by billionaire former Los Angeles Dodgers owner and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt and Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, with backing from Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

That group, which calls itself The People’s Bid for TikTok, has said it would aim to update the app’s technology to give users and creators more control over their data and experience on the platform.

TikTok just got another lifeline from the White House, with President Donald Trump set to delay enforcement of the sale-or-ban law by another 90 days.
There are several prominent bidders keen to take on the platform’s US operations. (Nine)

“Every day that passes without a qualified divestiture of TikTok puts Americans at greater risk of manipulation and surveillance,” a spokesperson for Project Liberty said Monday in a statement to CNN.

“The People’s Bid remains the only solution under consideration that fully satisfies the law and moves TikTok to a made-in-America tech stack.

“We look forward to working with members of the Administration, policymakers, and our many outstanding partners in The People’s Bid to achieve this goal.”

Another potential buyer group includes social media influencer Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, and Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley.

A representative for the group declined to comment on the status of the group’s bid on Monday.

The artificial intelligence firm Perplexity said in March that it was seeking to acquire TikTok.

In a statement at the time, the company said it was “singularly positioned to rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly, combining world-class technical capabilities with Little Tech independence”.

Perplexity did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Caitlin Fraser moved to Australia in 2019 and fell in love with this sunburnt country.

Caitlin Risks Deportation After Missing Two Weeks of Work

Exclusive: Scottish expat Caitlin Fraser wanted to spend the rest of her…

Tour de France: Pogacar Regains Lead with Impressive Stage Seven Performance

Tadej Pogacar won stage seven of the Tour de France to regain…

Police Describe German Backpacker Carolina Wilga’s Rescue as ‘Pure Chance’

According to police, a German backpacker endured the harsh outback conditions with…

Afghan Asylum Seeker Appeals to Australian Authorities to Halt Deportation

Nearly four years after being captured and tortured by the Taliban, Ahmad…
CCTV of a man who allegedly assaulted a woman and young child.

Surveillance Footage Captures Bold Attack on Woman and Child

A predator has been captured on video brazenly attacking a woman and…

Murujuga Rock Art Gains World Heritage Status Amid Ongoing Concerns

Environmentalists express concern that expanding a gas project might endanger an ancient…

Murujuga Rock Art Receives UN Endorsement for World Heritage Status

A significant Indigenous rock art collection in Western Australia has gained recognition…
A depiction of the new Frenchs Forest town centre.

Northern Sydney Suburb Revitalized: From Brick Pit to Lush Green Oasis

From early brick quarry grit and grime to a new green space,…
Second Australian city becomes million-dollar housing market

Another Major Australian City Enters the Million-Dollar Housing Club

Brisbane is now part of Australia’s million-dollar property markets, with median house…
President Donald Trump arrived Friday in Texas for a firsthand look at the devastation from the state's catastrophic flooding, but he has remained conspicuously quiet about his previous promises to do away with the federal agency in charge of disaster relief.

Trump Labels Journalist as ‘Malicious’ During Tour of Flood-Ravaged Texas Town

President Donald Trump visited Texas today to assess the destruction caused by…
Mollie Sylvester Schaffer had been married to her husband, Randy, for 57 years when the Houston couple travelled to an annual get-together with friends on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas.

Heroic Teenager Who Aided Family’s Van Escape Tragically Dies in Texas Floods

Mollie Sylvester Schaffer had been married to her husband, Randy, for 57…

Donald Trump Selects Former Sydney Councillor Nick Adams for Ambassador Position

United States President Donald Trump has nominated Australian‑born conservative commentator Nick Adams…