Is TikTok facing a ban in the U.S. because of security concerns about Chinese companies? Absolutely! But there’s a twist that no one’s really talking about yet. President Trump has let slip that he might be open to allowing Elon Musk or Larry Ellison to take over TikTok.
This past week, TikTok was the hot topic. The app briefly shut down in the U.S. to get ahead of the potential ban but was back online within a day. When they returned, they even thanked Trump for his efforts to keep the app running, although they’ve only got a temporary reprieve of 75 days. Sounds like there’s a lot going on behind the scenes!
During a press conference today (via NBC News), Trump made it clear that he’d be okay with Elon Musk purchasing TikTok “if he wanted to buy it.” He even seemed open to a deal with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who was there too. Trump actually joked about wrapping up a deal with Ellison right then and there!
With all the talk about cybersecurity, there’s a popular theory floating around that an American billionaire could scoop up TikTok from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. It seems more likely now with so many billionaires getting in Trump’s good graces lately. Just look at Musk and Mark Zuckerberg—they’re getting pretty chummy with Trump’s administration!
SEE ALSO: TikTok granted 75-day extension in the United States