China considers Elon Musk as potential TikTok U.S. buyer
Elon Musk emerges as candidate for TikTok U.S. acquisition
Chinese officials are weighing a possible plan that could see Elon Musk take control of TikTok’s US operations if the app fails to fend off a looming ban in the United States.
The proposal is part of a broader contingency discussion within the Chinese government, which has expressed strong preferences for TikTok to remain under its parent company ByteDance Ltd. However, as the legal battle over the ban intensifies, Beijing is exploring alternatives, reports Bloomberg.
TikTok’s Legal Battle and Potential Deal with Musk
TikTok is actively contesting the impending ban with an appeal to the US Supreme Court, but indications from January 10’s arguments suggest the justices may rule in favor of upholding the law. Amidst this uncertainty, Chinese officials have begun considering Elon Musk as a potential suitor for TikTok’s US operations.
The idea of Musk, a prominent figure who has invested heavily in supporting former President Donald Trump, taking over TikTok is appealing to Beijing, as Musk is a close ally of the Republican Party.
Under one scenario, Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) would merge with TikTok US, combining the app’s massive user base—over 170 million in the US—with X’s efforts to attract advertisers. Additionally, Musk’s AI venture, xAI, could benefit from the vast amounts of data generated by TikTok’s platform.
Despite these discussions, Chinese officials have yet to reach a firm consensus on the matter, and deliberations remain at an early stage. It is unclear whether ByteDance or TikTok has been directly involved in the discussions, or if any talks have taken place between TikTok and Musk about a potential deal.
Recently we wrote, that President-elect Donald Trump has requested that the court delay a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok's forced sale.
