Washington, January 29, 2025 (TDI): US President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that Microsoft wants to acquire TikTok for potential customers and would like to see a bidding war over the app.
With its massive 170 million American user base, TikTok has become the center of attention regarding its ownership and operation in the United States, with many potential buyers standing in the queue for ownership.
The popular social media TikTok app was briefly banned in the United States on January 19, just as a law requiring its Chinese owner ByteDance to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban was set to take effect.
Read more: TikTok to go dark in US tomorrow
However, more surprisingly, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 20, delaying the enforcement of the law on the application by more than 75 days.
This development has started a series of acquisition talks, with Trump revealing that he is in discussions with multiple people and companies interested in buying TikTok.
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Potential Buyers
High-profile players, including Elon Musk, Perplexity AI, and Microsoft, have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok.
Microsoft, the tech giant, was previously involved in acquisition talks with TikTok in 2020, but the deal ultimately failed between both sectors. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, currently holds Microsoft.
Tesla CEO and one of the richest men on earth, Elon Musk of T, has been mentioned as a potential buyer of TikTok, although he has yet to make any public statement regarding this potential interest.
The AI startup company “Perplexity AI” has proposed to merge Perplexity AI with TikTok, with the US government potentially earning up to a 50% stake in the new entity.
As the acquisition talks continue, one thing is clear: TikTok’s future in the US hangs in the balance. With its massive user base and significant influence on social media trends, the outcome of these talks will have far-reaching implications for the tech industry and beyond.