Musk, MrBeast, Larry Ellison – Who Might Buy TikTok? An Analysis by Alien Road

Jimmy Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, recently excited his tens of millions of TikTok followers by announcing his bid to acquire the platform.

“I might become you guys’ new CEO! I’m super excited!” Donaldson stated enthusiastically from a private jet. He further engaged his audience by promising $10,000 to five random new followers.

Since Monday, his post has amassed over 73 million views. While Donaldson remained tight-lipped about the specifics of his bid, he assured his audience, “Just know, it’s gonna be crazy.”

Donaldson is one of several interested parties eyeing TikTok, the immensely popular social media platform that has found itself at the center of a fast-evolving political debate in the United States.

As reported by sources such as Bloomberg and CNBC, former President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to sell the platform by January 19 or face a U.S. ban. The law was introduced amid national security concerns regarding TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government.

Former President Donald Trump has also proposed a joint ownership plan, suggesting the U.S. should hold a 50% stake. In a Truth Social post, he wrote, “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to [stay up].”

Additionally, Trump signed an executive order extending TikTok’s operational timeline by another 75 days.

Reports suggest that China is considering a sale of TikTok to Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X (formerly Twitter), who is closely aligned with Trump. Musk recently expressed his concerns on X, stating that the current situation—where TikTok operates in the U.S., but X is blocked in China—creates an imbalance.

When asked whether he would support Musk’s acquisition, Trump responded, “I would be if he wanted to buy it, yes,” while also mentioning Oracle chairman Larry Ellison as a potential buyer. Ellison, a long-time Trump supporter, was previously involved in a 2020 bid to acquire TikTok.

Oracle, a major cloud computing firm, manages many of TikTok’s data centers and has indicated that a ban on the platform could negatively impact its business.

Another contender, billionaire investor Frank McCourt, has been vocal about his interest in TikTok, emphasizing a model that would exclude ByteDance’s proprietary algorithm. Speaking to CNBC, McCourt highlighted his focus on data privacy and his preference for running TikTok using technology governed by his Project Liberty Institute.

Political and business analysts, including Georgetown University law professor Anupam Chander, suggest that the final decision on TikTok’s sale will likely align with Trump’s political preferences. Chander noted that a proposed 50-50 ownership model could conflict with current legislative requirements, potentially prompting Trump to seek Congressional amendments.

For now, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, as stakeholders await further regulatory and political developments.

(Sources: Bloomberg, CNBC, Truth Social)