TikTok Attracts $25 Billion Bid from Roblox CEO and Investors, ByteDance Maintains Silence
American investors, including Employer.com Founder Jesse Tinsley, Roblox CEO David Baszucki, and Anchorage Digital's Nathan McCauley, have assembled a $25 billion buyout offer for TikTok. However, ByteDance has not responded to the proposal.
TikTok browser window on desktop screen
The investor group has secured over $20 billion in funding and proposes an all-U.S. backed team to manage TikTok's data, servers, and technology. While YouTuber MrBeast has been mentioned in discussions, his spokesperson confirms he's in talks with multiple parties about potential acquisition.
This offer follows President Trump's 75-day stay on the TikTok ban. Trump has expressed interest in seeing a "bidding war" for TikTok's U.S. operations, suggesting Microsoft and Oracle as potential buyers. He also stated a preference for the United States to maintain a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.
Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts maintain that ByteDance must completely divest from TikTok and sever all ties with China for the app to resume operations in the U.S.
Currently, TikTok remains unavailable for download in the United States on both Apple's App Store and Google Play. Tech companies face potential fines of $5,000 per violation for offering downloads. While existing users can continue using the app, no new downloads have been permitted since January 19.
Person wearing Meta VR headset
