Following a federal prohibition that temporarily shut down TikTok in the United States due to national security concerns related to its Chinese ownership, President Donald Trump has indicated that he is open to the concept of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of the microblogging platform X, acquiring the app.
TikTok was taken down from the Apple and Google app stores after the ban, which went into effect on Sunday, drove millions of American users to stop using the program.
In response, Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing TikTok to resume operations for the time being.
Speaking to reporters after signing the order, Trump revealed he had met with TikTok’s major stakeholders and suggested a joint venture where the U.S. government would receive 50% of any profits from a potential sale of the platform.
“What I’m thinking about saying to somebody is ‘buy it and give half to the United States of America,’” Trump stated.
The president further warned China against interfering with the sale, calling any such action “hostile” and threatening tariffs as high as 100% in retaliation.
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When asked during a press briefing if he would be open to Musk acquiring TikTok, Trump confirmed his willingness, also mentioning Oracle’s co-founder Larry Ellison as another potential buyer. “I’d like Larry to buy it, too,” Trump said.
He emphasised that TikTok’s value is tied to its U.S. operations, noting, “TikTok is worthless if it doesn’t get a U.S. permit. With a permit, it’s worth like a trillion dollars.”
Trump’s proposal suggests that the platform would be more valuable with a U.S. partner and regulatory approval, positioning it as a win-win scenario for both the buyer and the country.
Meanwhile, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has not publicly commented on whether it plans to sell its U.S. operations.
However, Bloomberg has reported that Chinese officials may be considering a sale to Musk as a potential solution to the ongoing dispute.
In a further twist, Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in his administration last November, signaling a growing alignment between the two high-profile figures.
