In light of President Trump's 75-day delay for banning TikTok, potential buyers are emerging amidst uncertainties about ByteDance's willingness to sell. The proposed "TikTok America" plan involves a mix of ownership by U.S. investors and ByteDance while retaining algorithm licensing. Companies like Amazon, AppLovin, Oracle, and Blackstone have shown interest, with AppLovin pitching a solution to national security concerns. However, it remains to be clarified if a sale would meet legal mandates or satisfy ongoing geopolitical tensions, especially relating to China's response to U.S. proposals.
The Information reports that later today, Trump plans to announce a plan for "TikTok America," a new company with 50 percent ownership by unnamed new US investors, a one-third stake for existing ByteDance investors, and a 19.9 percent share for ByteDance. It would apparently license TikTok's algorithm from ByteDance.
AppLovin is a mobile tech company worth about $100 billion that uses data and AI to collect user information and target ads, and the WSJ says that its pitch to the Trump administration is that "it could solve national security concerns and unleash economic growth as a job creator."
A reportedly favored plan for Oracle, Blackstone, Silver Lake, and other investors to make a deal is still rumored as a potential solution, but the New York Times notes that it's still unclear whether that will satisfy the TikTok ban-or-divest law's requirements.
Trump will reportedly meet with aides today to discuss the proposals, or the idea of trying to extend the deadline for a decision regarding TikTok's fate.
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