Trump Confirms Microsoft in Talks to Acquire TikTok's U.S. Operations

Trump Confirms Microsoft in Talks to Acquire TikTok’s U.S. Operations

President Donald Trump announced that Microsoft is negotiating to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to Bloomberg. Trump noted “great interest in TikTok” and hinted at multiple bidders vying for the app.

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In 2020, under Trump’s administration, Microsoft and Oracle competed to acquire TikTok when the Chinese-owned app faced a potential U.S. ban. Recently, Trump signed an executive order extending the TikTok ban deadline by 75 days while directing the Department of Justice to pause enforcement of penalties. While the app remains accessible, it is still unavailable in app stores.

Other notable bidders have emerged, including Perplexity AI, which proposed a merger with TikTok, and billionaire Frank McCourt, who submitted a formal offer. Trump also previously expressed openness to Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle chairman Larry Ellison acquiring the app.

US President Donald Trump has revealed that Microsoft is in discussions to purchase TikTok and expressed his desire to see a “bidding war” for the social media platform. When asked about Microsoft’s interest, Trump responded, “I would say yes,” highlighting “great interest in TikTok” from several companies.

Both Trump and President Joe Biden have pushed for TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations due to national security concerns. Trump’s executive order last week delayed a Biden-era ban that briefly removed TikTok from app stores, granting the company a 75-day reprieve while keeping its 170 million US users online.

Back in August 2020, ByteDance approached Microsoft as a potential buyer, though the US tech giant later described the proposal as “the strangest thing.” TikTok ultimately chose Oracle as a partner, but that deal also fell through.

Trump has stated that multiple parties are interested in acquiring TikTok and that a decision on the app’s future could come within 30 days. Prospective buyers have reportedly included billionaire Frank McCourt, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, and YouTuber MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), who has expressed interest following outreach from investors.

As of now, Microsoft has declined to comment on the matter, while TikTok has yet to issue a statement. Speaking to Republican politicians in Florida, Trump emphasized the importance of keeping China out of TikTok’s operations, saying, “We don’t want China involved, but we’ll see what happens.”

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