MrBeast, the popular YouTuber, is reportedly part of a consortium attempting a $20 billion+ bid for TikTok. This group, which also includes Jesse Tinsley (Employer.com founder), Roblox CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (Anchorage Digital), estimates the acquisition will require $25 billion.
While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has stated its U.S. operations are not for sale, and the Tinsley-led group hasn't received a direct response, MrBeast's representatives confirm he's engaged in discussions with various parties. He aims to align with the eventual winning bidder, potentially shifting allegiances depending on the unfolding situation. MrBeast tweeted on January 22nd, expressing excitement about the potential partnership and hinting at significant developments.
Earlier this week, President Trump mentioned Microsoft's purported negotiations to acquire TikTok, anticipating a bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this.
TikTok experienced a brief outage for its 170 million U.S. users shortly before a January 19th deadline mandating either a sale to address national security concerns or a ban. The app went offline after the Supreme Court denied an appeal based on TikTok's First Amendment arguments. The court acknowledged common data practices but cited TikTok's scale, vulnerability to foreign influence, and the sensitive data it collects as justification for exceptional measures to protect national security.
Service resumed following assurances from President Trump that penalties would be avoided. TikTok described this as a victory for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship, committing to collaborate with the President on a long-term solution to maintain its U.S. presence.
Following his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump issued an executive order delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He's actively involved in discussions regarding a potential TikTok buyout, expressing openness to Elon Musk's involvement.
