Elon Musk or Larry Ellison Might Purchase TikTok, Trump Says

• President Donald Trump stated he can be open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison shopping for TikTok.
• Trump beforehand floated a three way partnership, saying that the US ought to personal half of the app.
• Trump has signed an govt order that offers TikTok one other 75 days to determine a brand new recreation plan.

A day after his inauguration, President Donald Trump stated he’d be on board with Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison shopping for TikTok.

In a Tuesday press briefing saying a $500 billion synthetic intelligence three way partnership with Oracle, Trump stated he was open to the thought of Ellison or Musk shopping for TikTok.

When requested by a reporter if he can be open to Musk shopping for the app, he stated, “I’d be, if he wished to purchase it, sure.”

“I might like Larry to purchase it, too,” he added.

Whereas Musk has circuitously expressed curiosity in shopping for TikTok, he stated on X on Sunday that he has “been towards a TikTok ban for a very long time” as a result of it “goes towards freedom of speech.”

A handful of big-name traders have proven curiosity in shopping for the app. “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary has stated that he, in collaboration with former Los Angeles Dodgers proprietor Frank McCourt, can be eager about buying the app.

YouTuber MrBeast additionally stated in an X put up on January 13, “Okay high quality, I will purchase Tik Tok so it would not get banned.” Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the YouTuber was becoming a member of a gaggle of traders led by tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley, who’ve expressed curiosity in shopping for the app.

However in 2024, ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese language proprietor, stated it could quite shut down TikTok within the US than promote it.

For now, TikTok’s destiny within the US hangs within the stability after the Supreme Court docket on Friday upheld the divest-or-ban legislation. This legislation requires ByteDance to divest from the platform within the US, or cease working within the nation.

TikTok went darkish for its 170 million US customers on Saturday. However hours later, its operations have been restored.

Shortly after his inauguration, Trump signed an govt order to pause the ban, which provides TikTok one other 75 days to determine a recreation plan.

Trump additionally prompt on Monday that the US ought to personal half of TikTok.

“So I believe, like a three way partnership, I believe we’d have a three way partnership with the folks from TikTok. We’ll see what occurs,” Trump added, with out specifying who he wished to have as TikTok’s US accomplice.

Trump’s order to delay the TikTok ban has prompted some opposition from inside the GOP.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas — who sits on the Senate Choose Committee on Intelligence — and Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska wrote in a joint assertion on Sunday that there’s “no authorized foundation” for TikTok to get an extension.

Within the assertion, the senators additionally lauded Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft for complying with the ban.

“President Trump stated he signed the chief order to ‘make a deal to guard our nationwide safety,'” Ian Swanson, Ricketts’ press secretary, instructed BI.

“Senator Ricketts agrees that defending our nationwide safety is paramount and that may solely be completed by ridding TikTok of all ties with Communist China,” Swanson added.

Representatives for Musk, Oracle, and Trump didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark from Enterprise Insider, despatched exterior common enterprise hours.