US President, Donald Trump says there’s a buyer lined up for TikTok and promises to reveal more in “about two weeks.”
In an interview on Fox News, Trump said, “We have a buyer for TikTok. I think I’ll probably need China’s approval, and I think President Xi will probably do it.”Food delivery service
Asked who the buyer is, he replied, “I’ll tell you in about two weeks. It’s a group of very wealthy people.”
Nearly five months ago, a law took effect requiring TikTok to either be banned in the US or sold by its China-based parent company, ByteDance. But thanks to Trump’s repeated delays, neither outcome has occurred except for a brief 14-hour blackout in January.
Trump has since signed three orders pushing back enforcement. Most recently, he granted TikTok a 90-day extension, moving the deadline for ByteDance to hand over control of its US operations to mid-September.
These delays have fueled uncertainty about TikTok’s long-term future in the US. China has signaled it may block any deal that includes TikTok’s prized algorithm. In April, a deal that would have transferred majority control of TikTok’s US operations to American owners was close to completion but collapsed after Trump announced new tariffs on China, prompting another delay.
ByteDance has acknowledged that any agreement remains subject to Chinese approval. Meanwhile, Trump continues to express optimism, saying he wants to keep TikTok “alive” in the US, even as questions linger about whether a sale will ultimately clear political and regulatory hurdles on both sides.