Donald Trump has given TikTok 75 days to persuade US officers it would not threaten nationwide safety – almost definitely by discovering a brand new, US proprietor for its American operation.
He signed the manager order inside hours of coming into the White Home and advised reporters: “I tell you what. Every rich person has called me about TikTok.”
The wildly common social media platform briefly went offline within the US on Sunday forward of a ban, however hours later, it got here again on-line with a message thanking the president.
“We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” it mentioned in a press release.
TikTok is owned by Chinese language firm Bytedance, and US politicians are anxious delicate knowledge about People may very well be given to the Chinese language authorities, which TikTok has repeatedly denied.
So who may purchase the all-singing, all-dancing brief video platform, which is valued at round $100bn (£82bn) whether it is bought with its algorithm?
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Jimmy Donaldson, extra popularly often known as MrBeast. Pic: AP
MrBeast
Youtuber MrBeast, actual title Jimmy Donaldson, posted on 14 January: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.”
Folks took him severely; he quickly posted once more saying a number of billionaires had contacted him to try to make the bid a actuality.
He posted extra updates from assembly rooms the place he mentioned he had been discussing the bid with “a bunch of billionaires”.
After Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Youtuber posted a video to TikTok saying he was on a non-public jet “about to put in my official offer for this platform”.
“I might become you guys’ new CEO, I’m super excited,” he mentioned.
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Elon Musk. Pic: Reuters
Elon Musk
The tech billionaire Elon Musk hasn’t instantly commented on rumours he may purchase TikTok.
Though TikTok denied the rumours, saying “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction”, Mr Musk has lots of enterprise dealings with China and could also be a beneficial proprietor if ByteDance is compelled to promote.
With Musk operating President Trump’s new Division of Authorities Effectivity, he could be properly positioned to assist Chinese language relations with the brand new Trump administration.
Proudly owning the US TikTok operation may additionally give him loads of new knowledge on which to coach xAI.
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Kevin O’Leary. File pic: AP
Shark Tank investor
Kevin O’Leary, a celeb investor on Shark Tank (America’s model of Dragon’s Den) put in a bid to purchase the platform as a part of a bunch calling themselves The Folks’s Bid for TikTok.
They submitted their bid the day earlier than Supreme Court docket judges upheld a legislation that banned the app however did not disclose how a lot cash they’d placed on the desk.
The group, additionally backed by World Huge Net inventor Tim Berners Lee, provided to purchase the platform with out its algorithm.
They then deliberate to rebuild the again finish of the app utilizing American-owned know-how,
Many mentioned it could be tough to keep up the app that means, given the Chinese language-made algorithm is what makes it so common.
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Perplexity co-founder and chief government Aravind Srinivas. File pic: AP
Perplexity AI
A US search engine startup, Perplexity AI, reportedly provided to merge with TikTok US on Saturday.
Below that bid, most of ByteDance’s buyers would retain their fairness stakes and the partnership would give extra video to Perplexity to make use of of their mannequin.
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Donald Trump on inauguration day. Pic: Reuters
The US authorities?
When TikTok got here again on-line on Sunday, President Trump wrote on his Fact Social platform: “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.”
It is unclear how this could work and Mr Trump hasn’t provided any extra particulars since taking workplace.
When the ban was being mentioned in Congress again in March 2024, there have been different businesspeople eager to make a proposal too.
These included the previous chief government of video games firm Activision Blizzard Bobby Kotick and former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
