It Looks Like Microsoft Is TikTok’s Latest Bidder
By Movieguide® Contributor
President Donald Trump announced Monday that Microsoft is interested in buying TikTok.
After Trump took office on Jan. 20, he issued an executive order to delay the sale or ban of the app that the Supreme Court had ruled on the previous day. The extension ends in April.
Trump announced last week that he would know the app’s fate in about 30 days, after speaking with interested buyers, according to Reuters. He mentioned that the app should go to the highest bidder.
“I like bidding wars because you make your best deal. So if there’s a bidding war, that’s a good thing,” Trump told reporters Monday.
Perplexity AI has stated that it wants to merge with TikTok. Under the deal, the US government would receive half of the new company.
READ MORE: THIS YOUTUBE STAR MAY BE TIKTOK’S NEW OWNER
When Trump first served as President, he ordered TikTok to separate its US version of the app from its owner, ByteDance, due to security concerns. Microsoft was a high bidder in 2020, but Trump left office soon after, and TikTok remained owned by ByteDance.
In 2021, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the deal was the “strangest thing I’ve ever worked on.” The government had a “particular set of requirements and then it just disappeared.”
“We’ll see what happens. We’re going to have a lot of people bidding on it,” Trump said Monday. “If we can save all that voice and all the jobs, and China won’t be involved, we don’t want China involved, but we’ll see what happens.”
Other bidders include former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and SHARK TANK investor Kevin O’Leary. YouTube star MrBeast also said he’s interested in buying the app.
General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford, a member of ByteDance’s board, said he believes Trump’s administration can create a deal that doesn’t involve the sale of the app.
“Our focus is finding a solution that allows TikTok to operate as a standalone business as it has already and we think there is a solution to that,” the board member said.
READ MORE: HOW TIKTOK HARMS KIDS ON AN ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’
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