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Groups that have bid for TikTok or expressed interest
The Economic Timesยท 2025-09-18 02:48
Core Viewpoint - The ongoing negotiations regarding TikTok's ownership involve multiple major companies interested in acquiring its US assets from Chinese parent company ByteDance, with a deadline set for December 16 to finalize the sale or face shutdown in the US [1][13]. Group 1: Potential Buyers - A consortium holding 80% of TikTok's US operations would include ByteDance's current shareholders such as Susquehanna International Group (SIG), General Atlantic, and KKR, while ByteDance retains a 19.9% stake [2][13]. - Oracle, valued at over $871 billion, is a key player providing cloud services for TikTok's US operations and is expected to take a stake in the new deal [3][13]. - Amazon, with a market valuation exceeding $2.5 trillion, has made a last-minute offer to acquire TikTok's assets outside of China [4][13]. - A startup led by Tim Stokely, founder of OnlyFans, has partnered with a cryptocurrency foundation to submit a bid for TikTok [5][14]. - AppLovin, a marketing platform valued at $204 billion, has proposed a larger deal that would merge TikTok's global operations outside of China [6][14]. - Perplexity AI has revised its merger proposal to create a new entity combining its operations with TikTok's US segment, suggesting a potential 50% ownership for the US government upon an IPO [8][14]. - Frank McCourt, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is leading a bid with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as a strategic adviser [9][10][14]. - A group of investors, including YouTube personality MrBeast, has made an all-cash bid of $30 billion for TikTok's US operations [11][14]. - Microsoft, previously a top bidder in 2020, is also mentioned as a potential acquirer, with a market value of $3.78 trillion [12][14]. Group 2: Strategic Implications - The deal aims to resolve national security concerns raised by the US government regarding TikTok's Chinese ownership, potentially stabilizing the app's operations in the US [1][13]. - The involvement of major tech companies and investment firms indicates a competitive landscape for TikTok's acquisition, highlighting the app's significant user base of approximately 170 million Americans [1][13].