Four groups are in discussions with U.S. authorities to potentially acquire TikTok's operations in the United States from the Chinese company ByteDance, which Donald Trump wants to compel to sell. "We are negotiating with four different groups, and many people are interested," Trump stated on Air Force One regarding TikTok.
On January 20, shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump granted ByteDance a 75-day deadline to sell its U.S. operations. Otherwise, the highly popular platform is expected to be banned in the United States, according to a law passed last year. However, this deadline could be extended.
Despite interest from several parties, ByteDance does not appear keen on a sale. Among the proposals is "Project Liberty" by real estate developer and Olympique de Marseille owner Frank McCourt. AI startup Perplexity AI has also submitted a merger proposal with TikTok's U.S. subsidiary, valuing the social network at at least $50 billion. Other interested figures include influencer MrBeast and Steven Mnuchin, former Treasury Secretary during Trump's first term. The White House has mentioned other potential buyers, such as Microsoft and Oracle, as well as Elon Musk, who stated at the end of January that he had not made an offer.
