US President Donald Trump, in a Fox News interview on “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo”, announced that a group of “very wealthy people” has agreed to purchase TikTok’s US operations.
He stated he would reveal the buyers’ identities in around two weeks, noting that the deal would likely require approval from the Chinese government. Trump expressed confidence that Chinese President Xi Jinping would approve the transaction, saying, “We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way. I think I’ll probably need China’s approval. I think President Xi will probably do it.”
Trump Delays Ban
Trump has repeatedly delayed enforcement of a 2024 US law mandating that ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, divest the app’s US assets or face a ban. The original deadline was January 19, 2025, but Trump extended it three times first to April 5, then to June 19 and most recently to September 17, 2025 citing his desire to keep TikTok operational in the US while ensuring data security for its 170 million American users.
In January he suggested a joint venture where the US would hold a 50 % stake, and he has mentioned potential buyers like Oracle co‑founder Larry Ellison and Elon Musk, though Musk has since distanced himself from acquisition interest.
TikTok Ban
The push to sell TikTok stems from a 2024 bipartisan law passed by Congress, driven by concerns that ByteDance’s Chinese ownership poses a national security risk. US lawmakers have warned that the Chinese government could use TikTok to access American users’ data or manipulate public opinion through content curation.
The law required ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. When the deadline arrived, TikTok briefly went offline before Trump’s first executive order delayed enforcement for 75 days, followed by further extensions.
A potential deal in April 2025 which would have spun off TikTok’s US operations into a new entity majority owned by US investors collapsed after Trump imposes steep tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting China to withhold approval. Trump has suggested that the tariffs give the US leverage in negotiations, stating, “The tariffs give us great power to negotiate.”
TikTok’s Response
TikTok has consistently denied allegations of spying or being influenced by the Chinese government, asserting its operational independence. The company expressed gratitude for Trump’s extensions, stating it is working with Vice‑President JD Vance’s office to secure a deal.
Several parties have reportedly shown interest in acquiring TikTok’s US operations, including Oracle, Amazon, Blackstone, billionaire Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty consortium, Reddit co‑founder Alexis Ohanian and YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast). However, any deal requires Chinese government approval, which remains uncertain, particularly regarding whether TikTok’s algorithm, its “secret sauce” can be included in the sale.
