A group of “very wealthy individuals” are set to acquire the popular short-form video app, TikTok, according to claims made by former President Donald Trump during a recent interview.
Speaking on Fox News Sunday morning, Trump disclosed, “We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way,” adding, “I think I’ll probably need approval from China. I believe President Xi will likely grant it.”
He offered no specific details about the identities of the buyers, asserting that their names would be revealed within two weeks, which has often been Trump’s preferred timeframe when announcing pending developments.
This announcement follows a prolonged period of uncertainty around TikTok’s future in the U.S. market, stemming from a bill initially requiring that Chinese owner ByteDance either sell the platform or face an American exclusion. Trump has previously expressed openness toward forming a joint venture allowing U.S. ownership of at least fifty percent.
Earlier this year, Trump named Elon Musk and Larry Ellison as potential buyers for TikTok. However, Musk’s involvement now seems less probable following recent controversies.
The deal, if confirmed and finalized, could mark a swift conclusion to ongoing political pressure faced by ByteDance in regards to its significant U.S. presence.
