Trump Is Searching For Potential TikTok Buyers – And These Are The Likely Contenders

Former President Donald Trump proposed to maintain TikTok’s U.S. operations through a major American investment that would acquire ByteDance’s business operations. Under Trump’s proposal, the U.S. government would acquire 50% ownership in TikTok alongside a private investor to co-manage the platform. Multiple prominent investors now show interest in this large-scale proposal.

Elon Musk holds the title of the world’s richest person while remaining a top contender. Musk stands as a strong choice because he operates Tesla alongside SpaceX and Twitter (formerly known as X) while maintaining connections to Trump and Chinese businesses. Experts predict Elon Musk will link up with technology investors to address potential antitrust concerns while strengthening his acquisition bid.

Chairman Larry Ellison of Oracle stands as one of the most likely candidates to acquire the company. Ellison’s longstanding Trump support combined with Oracle’s existing ByteDance cloud infrastructure partnership provides him with a path to simplify the acquisition process. In 2020, Ellison and Walmart tried to purchase TikTok before running into legal and organizational obstacles.

The potential acquisition race for TikTok includes major players such as Meta and Google, as well as large venture capital firms BlackRock and Coatue, in addition to Musk and Ellison. The estimated $40-80 billion valuation of TikTok requires substantial financial support to execute a high-stakes acquisition.

Social media influencer MrBeast and investor group Project Liberty, led by Frank McCourt and Kevin O’Leary, have joined the list of potential bidders alongside more traditional players. The Supreme Court’s PAFACA Act approval of TikTok restrictions, together with current Chinese-United States political tensions, creates obstacles for the acquisition process.

The future of TikTok depends on three key elements: regulatory compliance, funding acquisition, and national security resolution. The upcoming weeks will show if this high-stakes contest results in a new owner taking control of TikTok’s U.S. business operations.

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