TikTok has a new interested buyer. According to the Associated Press, Amazon has put in a bid for ownership of the Chinese-owned app as its future access in the United States remains in limbo. According to the outlet, a President Donald Trump administration official confirmed the Amazon offer was made in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Per AP, additional bidders include a consortium organized by billionaire businessman Frank McCourt, which recently added Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as a strategic adviser. The =Investors in the group said they offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for TikTok’s U.S. platform.
Sarah Baus of Charleston, S.C., holds a sign that reads “Keep TikTok” as she and other content creators Sallye Miley of Jackson, Mississippi, and Callie Goodwin of Columbia, S.C., stand outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building as the court hears oral arguments on whether to overturn or delay a law that could lead to a ban of TikTok in the U.S., on January 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Additionally, Jesse Tinsley, the founder of the payroll firm Employer.com, has reportedly organized a consortium and is offering ByteDance more than $30 billion for the platform. Business owner Reid Rasner also confirmed that he offered ByteDance roughly $47.5 billion.
Currently, TikTok is set to be banned on Saturday.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 28: In this photo illustration, a TikTok logo is displayed on an iPhone on February 28, 2023 in London, England
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Earlier this year, TikTok was blocked from usage in the United States after the Supreme Court decided to uphold a proposed ban. Former President Joe Biden initially signed the law last spring after it passed in Congress with bipartisan support
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement and source of community,” explained the decision. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”
Within 24 hours, service on the app was restored to users in the United States, however, it remained unavailable to download for those who had deleted the program.
Leave a comment