Popular YouTuber MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) is reportedly among a group of investors attempting a $20 billion-plus bid to acquire TikTok. Bloomberg reports this consortium includes Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital). The group estimates a $25 billion purchase price would be necessary.
While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has stated its U.S. operations are not for sale, and the Tinsley-led group acknowledges a lack of direct response, MrBeast's representatives indicate he's engaged in discussions with multiple parties. His aim is to join the eventual winning bidder, potentially shifting allegiances depending on the situation's evolution. On January 22nd, he tweeted, "The leading groups who are all credible bidding on Tik Tok have reached out for us to help them, I’m excited to partner/make this a reality. Big things cooking."
Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Microsoft's purported negotiations to acquire TikTok, expressing hope for a bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this claim.
TikTok experienced a temporary outage for its 170 million U.S. users shortly before a January 19th deadline requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell or face a ban due to national security concerns. The app went offline after the Supreme Court denied an appeal based on TikTok’s First Amendment challenge. The Supreme Court acknowledged common data practices in the digital age but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the volume of sensitive data collected as justification for prioritizing national security concerns.
Service was restored following assurances from President Trump that penalties would be avoided. TikTok stated at the time, “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.” Following his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump signed an executive order temporarily delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He engaged in discussions with various entities regarding a potential TikTok buyout, including expressing openness to Elon Musk's involvement.
