Former President Donald Trump revealed that Microsoft is engaged in discussions to acquire the US arm of ByteDance’s TikTok. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump stated, “I would say yes,” when asked about Microsoft’s involvement. He added, “There’s great interest in TikTok. A lot of interest.”
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TikTok, which boasts over 170 million American users, has garnered significant attention from various sectors of the US tech industry. Notably, AI startup Perplexity has expressed interest in merging with TikTok’s US operations, while billionaire Frank McCourt, the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, made a formal bid for the platform earlier this month.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has pursued TikTok. In 2020, during Trump’s presidency, the company competed with Oracle Corp. to acquire the app after Trump pushed ByteDance to divest its US operations over national security concerns.
Microsoft has declined to comment on its current involvement, but Trump touched on the situation earlier Monday while addressing a gathering of Republican lawmakers in Florida. In his remarks, Trump acknowledged a shift in his stance toward TikTok. Initially favouring a ban, he now supports a sale, partly due to the app’s popularity with pro-Trump content creators.
“We’ll see what happens,” Trump said in his speech. “We’re going to have a lot of people bidding on it. If we can save all that voice and all the jobs—and ensure China won’t be involved—that’s what we want.”
Trump has granted ByteDance a 75-day extension under a legal mandate requiring the company to sell its US operations to a domestic entity. He also encouraged more companies to enter the bidding process, saying, “I like bidding wars because you make your best deal. So if there’s a bidding war, that’s a good thing.”
With mounting interest from tech giants and other high-profile bidders, TikTok’s US future remains in the spotlight as negotiations continue.