It’s all hands on deck at TikTok HQ, and with the Doomsday Clock at one minute to midnight, the popular short-form video app could be banned in America in just a number of days. We’ve known that TikTok could be banned in the U.S. since the United States Army and Navy banned it on government devices in January 2020. As members of Congress have continued to raise concerns that the Chinese-owned ByteDance might be spying on us through TikTok, March 2024 saw the United States House of Representatives pass H.R. 7521, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
ByteDance was warned that TikTok would be banned in America unless it sold its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity.
Skeptics don’t think MrBeast could raise the funds to buy TikTok (Amazon Prime Video)
The January 19 deadline is looming, and with the Supreme Court looking like it will slam down the ban hammer, there’s a last-minute scramble to find a buyer.
Even though it could be a case of too little, too late, some major tech powers are circling.
After Elon Musk was rumored to be TikTok’s knight in shining armor, Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson has suggested he could also bring TikTok back from the brink of being banned.
While Musk is the richest man in the world and his reported net worth of $420 billion far exceeds Donaldson’s apparent $1 billion, MrBeast has still made an impressive sum as the most-subscribed channel on YouTube.
With analysts previously claiming TikTok’s U.S. operations could be worth up to $50 billion, MrBeast is far short of having enough money to buy it outright. Then again, Musk took out some hefty loans to buy Twitter (now known as X) in 2022. Elsewhere, Canadian investor and Shark Tank‘s Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, has also suggested he might be interested.
In the aftermath of the Musk rumors, MrBeast took to X and wrote: “Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned.”
Both Musk and Donaldson are divisive characters, although MrBeast definitely feels like he fits the demographic of TikTok more than Musk. The problem is, we can’t tell if he’s joking about a potential purchase. We won’t pretend to understand the logistics of buying TikTok’s U.S. operations, but we doubt it’d happen before January 19.
Others in the comments were split by the idea of MrBeast buying TikTok, with someone saying: “Better than Elon buying it.”
Another added: “You don’t want to p*ss off YouTube. They would likely destroy your algorithm reach if you owned their competitor. It would be a risk.
“What if YouTube overtakes TikTok? Also you would have to get quite the loan, and involve venture capital investors. It could be the right move… what do I know? 🤷♀️”
Who do you want to buy TikTok?
Someone else concluded: “I think Mr. Wonderful and Elon beat you to it, but you guys should all just partner together. Make it the Instagram version of the X platform where you can post on X at the same time, like how Facebook and Instagram cross over.
“There is a lot of potential to grow, and start-up companies explode on there, and it helps people be creative on that platform. It’s like the as seen on TV of social media platforms and more 😆”
Interestingly, the official Kick X account replied and said: “50/50? Kick Tok has a nice ring to it.”
The comments were filled with plenty of jokes about Donaldson giving away TikTok to one lucky subscriber (echoing the formula of many of his popular videos), and while many remain unconvinced that MrBeast could even find the funds to buy TikTok, this could turn into a bidding war between some of the tech industry’s biggest names.
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How much TikTok would really cost if billionaire Elon Musk were to buy it
How much it would really cost to buy TikTok as Elon Musk is reportedly in talks to purchase app
With the TikTok ban looming many are considering potential investors, and it’s only natural that the richest man in the world and current X owner Elon Musk one of the first names that comes to mind to ‘save’ the social media app.
Elon Musk‘s investment in social media has had a rocky journey, to say the least. From the offset it was a struggle for the billionaire, as emails reveal he had attempted to back out of the purchase due to concerns over bots, before eventually being forced back in by courts.
This led to significant sum of $44,000,000,000 in October 2022 – around eight to ten times Twitter‘s then-yearly revenue – and the two and bit years following haven’t exactly been smooth sailing for Musk and co.
He’s faced a mass advertiser exodus, lawsuits from former employees who argue that they were unfairly dismissed, and an overall value drop of around 72% that perhaps affirmed Musk’s belief that the initial purchase price was an ‘overpay’.
While many have jumped over to phoenix social media platform Bluesky since the US election, it is arguable that Musk’s control of Twitter, now ‘X’, played a key role in Donald Trump’s victory – which has left musk rewarded with a bespoke role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Elon Musk’s handling of Twitter has been criticized by many since his purchase of the site (Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Many now wonder whether he could be primed to dip his toes into the social media market once more though, as TikTok owner ByteDance could be on the hunt for a potential buyer as a US market ban appears all but confirmed.
The issue, however, is that the purchase of TikTok – even just in America – would be unattainable for most due to the sheer value that the short form video app holds.
Reports from the New York Times indicate that ByteDance is worth around $225 billion, and while it’s unclear what the US branch of TikTok would make up of that, it would definitely be a lot.
Therefore it leaves only the richest individuals on the planet as viable options, and reports from The Guardian indicate that Musk is being internally discussed as a potential landing point for a sale.
Times Now have estimated that, based on Musk’s previous purchase of Twitter, it would cost around $62 billion to $77 billion to take control of the US branch of TikTok – or $144 billion to $180 billion to purchase the app entirely.
This is based on the notion that Musk paid around eight to ten times the yearly revenue of Twitter, and with TikTok’s global revenue of $18.5 billion (with $7.7 billion in the US alone), it certainly would be a hefty investment.
You do wonder whether there would be some form of discount or compromise factored into a US-only sale considering it would be either that or forfeiting all revenue from the region, but it is unclear how a deal would shape up at this point in time.
Many US users of TikTok are begging for the ban to be avoided (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
What is clear is that Musk could likely afford it as his current net worth stands at around $432 billion, but it would likely take a significant sacrifice and potentially require outside investment in order for the sale to go through.
Musk has previously pushed back against the ban of TikTok in America, declaring on X: “In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform. Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is not what America stands for.”
This could indicate that the billionaire would be open to ‘saving’ TikTok in the name of free speech, although some might argue that two of the world’s leading social media platforms being owned by the same individual isn’t the expression of free speech that it seems.
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China reportedly in talks to sell TikTok to Elon Musk
The world’s richest man definitely has the money to do it
In a move that will come as no surprise to many, the world’s richest man could be poised to throw TikTok a lifeline. Chinese internet company ByteDance owns the short-form video hosting service, but with concerns that it could be used to spy on Americans, the U.S. government has threatened to ban the app as early as January 2025. January 19 is the all-important day, and with the clock ticking toward the deadline, ByteDance has been told that it has to sell to a non-Chinese organization or TikTok will be going dark in America.
President-elect Donald Trump has already intervened to ask for a delay, but with the Supreme Court throwing its weight around, many have been preparing for a TikTok-free America from January 19.
TikTok could be going dark in America on January 19 (NurPhoto / Contributor / Getty)
Now, Elon Musk is tipped to swoop in and save the day. Although Beijing officials would prefer TikTok to stay under ByteDance, Bloomberg News reports that Musk is in preliminary talks to acquire the app’s U.S. operations.
Sources claim that TikTok’s U.S. operations could sold through a competitive process or a forced arrangement by the government, suggesting that ByteDance no longer has a say in what happens next.
One potential scenario could see Musk’s X platform absorb TikTok’s in the U.S. and run the pair side by side. Then again, Bloomberg notes that a consensus hasn’t yet been reached.
Considering TikTok has some 170 million users in the USA, it could be a lucrative partnership that would help Musk attract advertisers to X. The site also says that Musk’s xAI artificial intelligence company could benefit from the masses of data that TikTok generates.
With the Chinese government having a ‘golden share’ in ByteDance, this is said to be a contributing factor in why members of Congress are concerned about its hold over TikTok.
At the time of writing, Musk and his representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment, nor did the Cyberspace Administration of China and China’s Ministry of Commerce government agencies expected to be involved in these all-important decisions.
Elon Musk could save TikTok with a lucrative deal to take over U.S. operations (Anna Moneymaker / Staff / Getty)
Musk has been vocal about TikTok’s potential ban, posting on X in April 2024 and saying: “In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform.
“Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is not what America stands for.”
The impending Trump administration has already pointed at tough times ahead for China, with increased tariffs and export controls poised to improve U.S. industries and clamp down on Chinese ones.
Still, it’s thought that these TikTok negotiations could be some form of reconciliation between these opposing world powers.
Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Mandeep Singh and Damian Reimertz estimated that TikTok’s U.S. operations are valued at anywhere between $40 billion and $50 billion, so it’s unclear how a deal with Musk would work. Even though he’s by far and away the world’s richest man, he’s still paying off some sizeable loans from his Twitter purchase in 2022.
TikTok isn’t out of the woods yet, but Elon Musk taking the reins wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen in the tech world.
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People think Elon Musk could be hinting at a UK invasion following bizarre post
Musk’s latest social media tirade has targeted the UK
Elon Musk’s latest social media frenzy has seen him target UK political officials, and it has led to many thinking that the tech mogul is wanting to invade the United Kingdom.
Even before purchasing Twitter, now X, in a $44 billion deal that has significantly dropped in value, Elon Musk has never shied away from sharing his opinion on things.
He has used his power as head of the social media platform to spread his views and engage with an audience of 211 million followers, and many believe X and Musk played a key role in securing Donald Trump’s US election victory last November.
Despite only holding a temporary advisory role to the US government, many saw Musk’s power flexed in the days prior to Christmas where a key bipartisan budget was nearly derailed.
He seemingly has his eyes set on UK politics now, pushing heavily against the current Labour government and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
As reported by the Mirror, Musk posted a poll on X asking users of the platform to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as to whether “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”
America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government
At the time of writing the poll has just over 890,000 responses, with 60.8% voting for ‘yes’.
What exactly Musk is insinuating with this poll is unclear, as ‘liberate’ is certainly a loose verb that can mean a number of things in this context – but many seem to think that Musk is threatening to ‘invade’ the United Kingdom.
Musk has previously hinted at pledging a staggering $100,000,000 behind Reform UK leader Nigel Farage – who, like Musk, shares close ties to Donald Trump – but he has also seemingly detached his support from Farage specifically, posting recently: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
Criticism from Musk seems to largely be surrounding the handling of historical cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by gangs and grooming rings, and much of his attention has been focused on Starmer and current UK safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
Starmer has addressed Musk’s comments, declaring that “a line has been crossed.” He further added that “those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible, they’re not interested in victims – they are interested in themselves.”
“When the poison of the far right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book a line has been crossed,” the prime minister added.
Musk responded to Starmer’s statement on X, declaring: “What an insane thing to say!” continuing on to state he is “utterly despicable.”
Many have criticized Musk’s recent social media frenzy, arguing that the tech mogul has ‘gone too far’ (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Many on social media have taken umbrage with Musk’s lengthy tirade, particular in a post on the r/unitedkingdom subreddit.
“The man is not well,” one commenter argues, “Something in him snapped some time ago.”
“I would honestly be mortified to drive a Tesla at the moment,” added another – and they might not be alone if reports of a sales decline has anything to say.
One even puts forward the notion that it’s “time to shut down market access to the UK for any company Musk has any stake in.”
It does make you wonder how Musk has the time for the amount of posting that he does with multiple companies and even government roles under his belt. One comment remarks: “I just don’t understand why someone who has that much money chooses to spend so much time online. If I had his money I’d be on holiday 24/7.”
You’d certainly be able to spend a long time on holiday with $437 billion in your back pocket.
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MrBeast confirms serious offer to buy TikTok saying he ‘means business’
The YouTube megastar is begging to ‘save’ the social media platform
MrBeast might just have handed American TikTok users a lifeline, as he’s now confirmed that a serious offer is being prepared to purchase the short form video content app – at least in the United States.
TikTok‘s future has remained up in the air for the best part of the year following the bipartisan bill President Biden signed into law in April 2024 that would ban the social media app in the United States unless it was sold within a year.
The reason behind this threatened ban – which comes closer to reality with every passing day – is due to concerns over national security, specifically that TikTok parent company ByteDance has alleged links to the Chinese government.
Justice department lawyer Elizabeth B. Prelogar has claimed that the app could be used by China “at any time to harm the United States,” and if TikTok isn’t sold to an entity that is unconnected to a ‘foreign adversary’ by January 19, it will officially be removed from the US market.
MrBeast is allegedly lining up a bid alongside multiple billionaires to ‘save’ TikTok for Americans (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Reports have alleged that Elon Musk has been in talks to purchase the app, but YouTube sensation Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson has confirmed his own interest in buying TikTok with the support of ‘several billionaires’.
This all started when MrBeast posted on X: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.” This was followed up with a reply that declared: “Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off.”
While it’s unclear whether Donaldson’s initial post was fully serious, he’s now officially confirmed his interest in a video on the app that he wishes to buy.
The video, captioned “TikTok check your inbox [eyes emoji] @TikTok” shows MrBeast in a room with his ‘lawyer’ holding a briefcase, and the words ‘How We Buy TikTok’ on several whiteboards behind the pair.
“I just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires – TikTok we mean business,” declares MrBeast. He goes on to say that he has an offer ready to buy the platform, that “America deserves TikTok,” and that he wants to “save this platform.”
This certainly appears to be an expression of intent, but it’s still not fully clear whether MrBeast intends to go through with this or whether it’s some kind of elaborate joke.
While there’s no doubt that Donaldson is rich, having earned around $85,000,000 in 2024 alone, it would take quite a few billionaires in order to support a bid large enough to purchase even the American portion of TikTok. Reports indicate that it would take anywhere between $62 billion and $77 billion to purchase the US side, stretching up to $180 billion to pick up the app in its entirety.
Concessions might be made considering the situation that would leave the app removed from the region entirely, but it certainly won’t make it much cheaper.
Some have even speculated that America doesn’t ‘need’ TikTok any more after many have flocked over to Chinese alternative Xiaohongshu, otherwise known as RedNote.
There also remains a fear that the bid, if successful, would leave TikTok in a similar state to Twitter following Elon Musk‘s takeover. “This could be arguably worse than Elon buying Twitter,” argues one user in reaction to MrBeast’s potential bid, but it would take a significant loss to match the 72% drop in value that Twitter has suffered since October 2022.
