Who Might Buy TikTok? From MrBeast to Elon Musk, Here Are the Top Contenders

On the eve of Saturday, Jan. 18, TikTok went dark in the U.S. in response to a federal ban, after the U.S. government raised concerns about the app’s China-based owner ByteDance and the access it might have to U.S. data. But the social media platform restored service to its U.S. users the very next day—citing a promised executive order from President Donald Trump, who was then just one day away from his Inauguration Address.

After being sworn in, Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law that requires a sale or ban of the platform, instructing the Attorney General to not enforce the law while he bides time for the app to be sold.

As Trump gives ByteDance more time to find an appropriate buyer, many moguls and businesses have thrown their hats in the ring for a chance to purchase the social media platform—a bid that could be as much as $50 billion, per an estimate by CFRA Research's Senior Vice President Angelo Zino.

Read More: How TikTok’s Most Followed U.S. Influencers Reacted to the App Going Dark

While ByteDance had initially been opposed to selling the app’s U.S. operations, General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford (General Atlantic is a major investor in ByteDance), told Axios on Wednesday, Jan. 22, that a deal will get done because “it's in everybody's interest."

With discussions circulating about potential deals, here’s what you need to know about the top contenders to buy and “save” TikTok in the U.S.

Elon Musk

Listed by Forbes as the world’s richest person, Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk has found his name used widely among those discussing potential TikTok buyers.

Trump said he would be comfortable with Musk—who he has entrusted to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)— buying TikTok.

When asked by reporters on Jan. 22 if he was “open” to Musk purchasing the app, Trump said: “I would be if he wanted to buy it.”

Read More: How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker

In mid-January, before the short-lived TikTok ban went into effect, Bloomberg released a report that China was considering Musk as a buyer for the app. 

However, TikTok responded via a cool statement shared with several outlets: “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction.”

Musk has posted on X (formerly Twitter) about his opposition to the ban—calling it an exercise in “censorship and government control”—but he has not publicly stated if he has plans to buy the app or if it was a consideration at any point.

MrBeast

Content creator Jimmy Donaldson, known on the Internet as MrBeast, has made it clear he is interested in buying TikTok. Donaldson has the most subscribers of any user on YouTube— over 340 million—and boasts over 113 million TikTok followers.

On Jan. 13, Donaldson began discussion of his potential bid for TikTok with a post on X that read: “Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned” In a video posted on Jan. 15, Donaldson then told his followers: “I just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires. TikTok, we mean business.”

On Monday, Jan. 20, Donaldson posted another update. “TikTok, I’m on a private jet right now about to put in my official offer for this platform,” he said. “I might become your guys’ new CEO.”

The Associated Press reported that Donaldson had joined a consortium of investors, led by Employer.com founder and CEO Jesse Tinsley, in their bid for TikTok. Tinsley announced that the consortium made a formal, all-cash offer to purchase TikTok's U.S. operations and assets.

“Our offer represents a win-win solution that preserves this vital platform, while addressing legitimate national security concerns,” said Tinsley. The statement did not disclose the amount of the bid.

Kevin O'Leary

Kevin O’Leary, Canadian investor and star of the reality television show Shark Tank, has expressed a strong interest in buying TikTok. He has joined “The People’s Bid for TikTok,” an effort led by Project Liberty Founder Frank McCourt.

On Fox’s America’s Newsroom on Jan. 17, O’Leary said that “$20 billion is on the table. Cash.”

And on social media, the business mogul pitted himself against fellow bidder Donaldson by posting his segment on Fox, the thumbnail reading: “Is MrBeast really the competition?”

“Only one group has the tech to pull this off without breaking a sweat. Guess who?” O’Leary said in his Instagram caption. “We’ve been pitching the solution on Capitol Hill. If this deal happens, it’s going to rewrite the rules of social media power, all on American terms.”

Read More: Why Trump Flipped on TikTok

Trump has stated that he would “like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.”

O’Leary is keen on this idea, but told CNBC that he has concerns. “That 50/50 deal, I would love to work with Trump on, so would every other potential buyer... But the problem with some of these ideas is they are inconsistent with the ruling of the Supreme Court,” he said

Larry Ellison

While speaking from the White House, Trump stated that he would like Oracle chief technology officer and cofounder Larry Ellison to buy TikTok.

In front of reporters, he turned to Ellison and said: “Larry, lets negotiate in front of the media. So what I’m thinking about saying to someone is, ‘Buy it, and give half to the United States of America.’”

He then asked Ellison if it sounded “reasonable,” with Ellison responding: “Sounds like a good deal to me, Mr. President.”

Ellison, an ally to the President, previously made a bid for TikTok back in 2020, when Trump pushed for a ban on the platform during his first term at the White House.

On Jan. 25, NPR reported that the Trump Administration is negotiating a deal that involves Oracle and a group of external investors to effectively take over TikTok’s global operations. In the deal, ByteDance would keep a stake in the company, but Oracle—which already provides the foundation of TikTok's web infrastructure—would oversee the algorithm, data collection, and software updates.

Steven Mnuchin

Steven Mnuchin, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary who served during Trump’s first term, has re-entered discussions surrounding the purchase of TikTok.

In early 2024, Mnuchin said he was assembling an investor group to acquire the social media platform, back when the bipartisan bill to ban the app was just moving through the House of Representatives.

Mnuchin recently joined host David Faber on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street on Jan. 21, where Faber followed up on Mnuchin’s former interest in TikTok.

“We only put it on hold because it was clear that China was not willing to negotiate. Now that President Trump is willing to look at a deal, obviously we’re going to follow this very closely over the next 75 days,” Mnuchin said. “We’d be very interested in investing [in] the business; it’s a terrific business, and we’d have a technology plan to rebuild the technology.”

Perplexity AI

Perplexity is “a free AI-powered answer engine,” that arguably competes with the likes of OpenAI and Google. 

Perplexity AI reportedly made a bid to merge with TikTok on Saturday, Jan. 18, with the understanding it would allow most of ByteDance’s existing investors to retain their equity stake.

On Jan. 26, the AP reported that Perplexity AI presented a new proposal to ByteDance—one that would allow the U.S. government to own up to half of that merged entity after a future initial public offering of at least $300 billion.

Microsoft

Responding to reporters, Trump said on Jan. 27 that Microsoft was also among those in current talks to acquire TikTok’s U.S. business.

Microsoft was among the top bidders for TikTok in 2020, eventually losing to Oracle and Walmart—though a sale then eventually fell through. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella later described the failed deal as "the strangest thing" he had ever worked on.

TIME has reached out to the respective TikTok deal contenders for comment.