President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. is “very close” to brokering a deal for the sale of TikTok, a move that could prevent the app from facing a U.S. ban. The platform, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has until this weekend to find a buyer, following legislation passed by Congress last year requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok.
The U.S. government has raised concerns over TikTok’s potential threat to national security, citing fears that Chinese authorities might gain access to sensitive user data, a claim Beijing has denied. In response, the app was temporarily removed from U.S. app stores in January, only to return after Trump intervened and delayed the ban until April 5.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump revealed that “multiple investors” are in the final stages of negotiating a deal. He also suggested the possibility of a trade-off: China would approve the sale of TikTok in exchange for relief from U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.
Various companies have reportedly shown interest in acquiring TikTok. Among the most recent is Amazon, which has submitted a last-minute offer to the White House, according to CBS, though Amazon declined to comment. Trump has also mentioned Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison as a potential buyer, and though Elon Musk expressed no interest in the deal, his name surfaced as a possibility.
Other high-profile bidders include billionaire Frank McCourt, along with Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who confirmed his involvement in McCourt’s bid. Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, the world’s biggest YouTuber, has also announced interest in purchasing the app as part of a consortium. Tim Stokely, the British founder of OnlyFans, has expressed his intent to acquire TikTok through his company, Zoop.
In addition to these individual buyers, major firms like Microsoft, private equity giant Blackstone, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz have been reported as potential bidders. The White House has reportedly considered a proposal where ByteDance would retain ownership of TikTok’s algorithm but lease it to a new entity managing the app’s U.S. operations.
If no deal is struck by April 5, TikTok could face another ban, with the app potentially being removed from app stores once again. Trump had signed an executive order in January, delaying the ban by 75 days, but the law requiring TikTok’s sale remained intact. The Supreme Court upheld the law, which mandates ByteDance’s divestment of the app.
In the event of a failure to secure a deal, Trump could allow the law to stand but instruct the Department of Justice to turn a blind eye, permitting Apple and Google to continue hosting TikTok without consequences. TikTok returned to the app stores in February after assurances that these companies would not face repercussions.
Trump has indicated that he might extend the deadline further if necessary, keeping the pressure on for a resolution.
