Washington, D.C. – March 10, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Sunday that a resolution to the fate of TikTok, the embattled Chinese-owned social media platform, may be near.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump revealed that his administration is in talks with four prospective buyers, stating, “It could happen soon. We’re dealing with four groups, and many people want it … all four are good.”
The comments come as TikTok faces a critical deadline tied to national security concerns, with its U.S. operations hanging in the balance.
The saga began when a bipartisan law took effect on January 19, requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, to sell its U.S. assets or face a ban.
Signed by former President Joe Biden in April 2024, the legislation cites risks that the Chinese government could exploit TikTok’s 170 million American users’ data or manipulate its algorithm—a charge ByteDance denies.
On January 20, Trump, fresh off his inauguration, issued an executive order delaying enforcement by 75 days, pushing the deadline to April 5. This reprieve has kept the app alive, but its future remains uncertain.
Trump declined to name the four bidders, though interest in TikTok—valued by analysts at up to $50 billion—has drawn notable figures.
Frank McCourt, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, intends to buy the platform and position himself as a data privacy champion.
Speculation has also swirled around YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast) and investor Kevin O’Leary, who have recently hinted at bids on X. Neither TikTok nor ByteDance responded to Reuters’ requests for comment outside business hours.
The negotiations reflect Trump’s evolving stance on TikTok. During his first term, he pushed for a 2020 ban, which courts blocked. Now, with nearly 15 million followers on the app himself, Trump sees its political and economic value.
He even proposed that the U.S. government take a 50% stake in TikTok’s American arm, a radical idea requiring congressional approval and untested in the tech world.
ByteDance insists its U.S. data is secure, stored on Oracle servers since a 2022 deal. Yet, distrust lingers, fueled by incidents like the company’s alleged tracking of journalists, as reported by Forbes. With U.S.-China tensions simmering, a sale could resolve the standoff—but only if Beijing approves, a hurdle that sank a 2020 deal with Microsoft.
As April 5 nears, TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users await clarity. A successful deal could preserve a cultural juggernaut; failure could erase it from American app stores. For now, Trump’s cryptic optimism keeps the spotlight on this high-stakes negotiation.
