【The Exotic Time Machine】

The The Exotic Time Machinefight to ban TikTokis far from over.

It started in 2019, when U.S. legislators first started banning TikTok from government devices, but it reached a fever pitch in 2024 when then-President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that would ban TikTok unless it divested from its parent company, ByteDance. This all happened because of a fear that TikTok poses a national security threat since its parent company is based in China and subject to Chinese intelligence laws, which could theoretically force ByteDance to give its data to the Chinese Communist Party, a U.S. adversary. 

The ban eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, with First Amendment Rights activists swarming to oppose it, since Americans have a First Amendment right to receive information from abroad, including propaganda. The Court eventually ruled to uphold the TikTok ban in a unanimous decision. And the ban did go into effect (for about 12 hours). That is, until now-President Donald Trump said he would extend the period of time before the law goes into effect. Now, the app is running and back on App Stores — at least, until Trump's extension runs out on April 5.

TikTok says it likely won't sell, but the only way to stop a U.S. ban now is for another company to step up and buy it. Most of the details about these talks aren't public, and we won't know for sure who's at the helm of the short-form video app until the deal is signed, but that doesn't stop rumors from flying. For instance, for a while, we all thought Elon Musk, the CEO of X, SpaceX, and Tesla, was going to buy TikTok, but that was before he came out and said he didn't have any plans.

Here's who might actually be in the talks to buy TikTok:

Reid Rasner

Billionaire Reid Rasner recently joined the gaggle of potential suitors for TikTok. The Wyoming entrepreneur told NBC News on March 6 that the Trump administration is taking his bid "very seriously" and is "prepared to move forward," adding that "there's no holding back."

Oracle

A few weeks ago, it was reported that the software company Oracle, along with a group of other outside investors, would be taking control of the app. According to NPR, which got the exclusive on the deal, it was being negotiated by Trump's White House and would allow ByteDance to retain a minority stake in the company; Oracle would oversee the app's algorithm, data collection, and software updates. Trump later denied he was working on a deal with Oracle, Reuters reported, but maintained that he was working with "very substantial people" about a deal. Trump even said he would "like Larry [Ellison] to buy it," referring to Oracle chairman.

MrBeast

YouTube and TikTok star Jimmy Donaldson, who you probably know as MrBeast, is apparently looking to buy TikTok alongside a group of investors.

“Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned,” he posted on X in January. Albeit spelling TikTok incorrectly, his lawyers confirmed to CNN that he was serious.

Project Liberty and Kevin O'Leary

Canadian investor and Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary said he would "love to work with Trump" on a deal to buy TikTok, according to CNBC. He also joined in on a bid along with Project Liberty Founder Frank McCourt on "The People’s Bid for TikTok," which offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash. Alexis Ohanian also recently joined in on the bid.

Steven Mnuchin

Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC in March 2023 that he started an investor group to buy the app but didn't give any details. He helped Trump broker a deal in 2020 that would have Oracle and Walmart take a significant stake in TikTok, but obviously that didn't pan out.

Perplexity AI and the U.S. Government

The U.S.-based search engine Perplexity AI put in an offer to create a new U.S. holding company called "NewCo" and then to merge with TikTok, Reuters reported. The holding company would mean the U.S. government would get up to half of the new company in the future, which could lead to some pretty serious First Amendment concerns.

Microsoft

According to Reuters, Microsoft is also in talks to buy TikTok. The details aren't public.

Bobby Kotick

As IGN reported in March 2024, the former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly wanted to buy TikTok. The details aren't public, and it's unclear if that reported interest has turned into anything solid.

Rumble

The Twitch rival is also thought to be interested in buying TikTok, and even put in an offer in March 2024.

Amazon

In 2024, Forbes reported — with the assistance of a former TikTok employee — that Amazon was also in talks to buy the app. The details here aren't public.

The U.S. government's sovereign wealth fund

Trump has suggested that a sovereign wealth fund in the U.S. could buy TikTok, the BBC reported. This could lead to some First Amendment concerns with regard to what kind of content is policed on the app. Content moderation is one thing on a private social media app, but it would hold a whole host of issues when the moderators are a government organization.

This article was initially published in February 2025 and has been updated to reflect new potential buyers.