Search engines, tech giants and YouTubers are all vying with each other to buy Tiktok's U.S. operations as the wildly popular app remains in the country's app stores.
Currently, in operation, our search engine startup Confusion AI is now bidding to merge with Tiktok, with the US government receiving half of the new company.
Competing against Confused AI are Microsoft and Oracle, both of which are involved in talks for a deal that is now being negotiated directly by Donald Trump's administration.
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Another surprise entrant in the Tiktok contest is controversial American YouTuber, Jimmy Donaldson – aka Mr. Beast. Last week, he Take a private jet to bid on tiktokannounced to his followers: “I might be your new CEO.”
Interest in buying the short video app is growing as Tiktok's future in the United States remains in limbo and the app itself remains unavailable on the U.S. Google and Apple App stores.
This hasn't hurt users who have already downloaded the app.
But Americans who don’t have the app, or who have deleted it from their devices How many hours has it been dark?desperate to get it. they are trying everything from VPN Used phones up to $50,000 can access the app.
According to the Associated Presspeople have been listing phones preloaded with Tiktok on online storefronts such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace. The price of the phone ranges from $340 to $50,000.
The agency said it was unclear how many of these phones had been sold, but those selling in the hundreds received the most bids.
It's no surprise then that US billionaires and tech giants are falling for each other in a bid to get the app up to $50 billion with some calculations.
But how successful they will be may depend entirely on the Chinese government. Beijing has set rules that would give Chinese leaders the power to approve any deal.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing also say this month Any acquisition involving a Chinese company needs to comply with that country's laws and regulations.
Although the spokesman also said Beijing believed companies should make “independent decisions” about their business and transactions.
Trump, businessman?
Meanwhile, Beijing’s American counterparts are not lagging behind.
On Saturday, President Trump said he was talking to multiple people about buying TikTok and could make a decision on the popular app's future in the next 30 days.
“I've talked to a lot of people about Tiktok, and there's a lot of interest in Tiktok,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One during a flight to Florida.
Reuters report The Trump administration is developing a plan to save TikTok that involves attacking software company Oracle and a group of outside investors to effectively take control of the app's operations.
Under the deal negotiated by Bytedance, Tiktok's China-based owner, a stake in the company will be retained, but data collection and software updates will be overseen by Oracle, which already provides the foundation for Tiktok's web infrastructure. , citing people familiar with the discussion.
Also, ABC National Public Radio (NPR) Also reported Talks between Oracle and the Trump administration said officials from both sides held a meeting on Friday.
NPR said other potential investors participating in the talks include Microsoft.
Meanwhile, Trump has denied that he talked to Oracle's Larry Ellison about buying the app. Tiktok, Oracle and Microsoft did not comment to Reuters or NPR.
Confusing AI’s bids
The search engine’s Confused AI first made a bid for Tiktok earlier this month, but it has since revised the proposal to provide the U.S. government with a 50% share.
The update comes shortly after Trump's comments as president. what he said He wants the United States to take 50% ownership of the joint venture involving Tiktok. “With our approval, [TikTok] “Hundreds of billions of dollars, maybe trillions of dollars,” Trump said.
A confusing document shared with BONDENACE and new investors proposes the creation of a new U.S. holding company called “Newco,” said a person familiar with the proposal. told Reuters on weekends.
Under the proposal, Bytedance will sell Tiktok to investors, which will give Tiktok’s existing investor interests in the company. The proposal would also exclude Tiktok’s core suggestions algorithm, which will remain in place.
The U.S. government will own as much as half of the new structure once it passes an IPO of at least $300 billion.
Puzzle AI will also be acquired by the holding company if its own investors receive allocations of New York stock, the person said.
The White House and the White House did not comment to Reuters on the report.
Still, Confusion AI thinks its bid may be successful, as it proposes a merger rather than a sale, Reuters report Cite sources.
- Vishakha Saxena, with Reuters
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