In a rapidly evolving saga surrounding TikTok’s future in the United States, Chinese officials are reportedly considering a surprising option: selling the platform’s US operations to billionaire Elon Musk.
According to a report by Bloomberg News, discussions are underway in Beijing about a potential deal that could see Musk’s social media company, X (formerly Twitter), acquire TikTok from its Chinese owner, ByteDance.
The reported talks come as TikTok faces increasing pressure from the US government to divest its Chinese ownership. A law passed last year requires ByteDance to either sell TikTok’s US operations or shut down the platform entirely, citing national security concerns.
The law, aimed at preventing potential data harvesting and propaganda efforts by the Chinese government, is set to take effect Sunday — just a day before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.
Both China and ByteDance have denied allegations that TikTok serves as a tool for espionage or propaganda.
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Meanwhile, TikTok has legally challenged the law, arguing before the US Supreme Court that forcing a sale violates First Amendment protections for free speech. However, justices on both sides of the ideological spectrum have expressed skepticism toward this argument.
In the scenario outlined by Bloomberg, Musk’s company, X, would acquire TikTok’s US operations, estimated to be worth between $40 and $50 billion. The move would potentially merge TikTok’s massive user base and video-sharing capabilities with X’s platform, further diversifying Musk’s growing tech empire.
Although Musk is currently the world’s richest person, questions remain about how he would finance such a massive acquisition.
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The report also noted that it is unclear if Musk would need to sell other assets to fund the deal. Musk, known for his ties to outgoing President Trump, has maintained significant business interests in China, where his electric vehicle company Tesla operates a major factory and enjoys a robust market share.
The reported discussions in Beijing are described as preliminary, with Chinese officials yet to reach a consensus on how to proceed. It is also unclear how much ByteDance is involved in or aware of these considerations. A TikTok representative dismissed the report as “pure fiction” in comments cited by Variety.
The potential sale of TikTok to Musk adds another layer of complexity to an already contentious relationship between the United States and China. Outgoing President Joe Biden largely upheld, and at times expanded, the trade policies initiated by Trump, including tariffs on Chinese goods.
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