Chinese officials are reportedly engaging in preliminary discussions about selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire Elon Musk if the short-video app fails to avoid an impending ban, according to a Bloomberg News report on Monday.
While Beijing prefers TikTok to remain under the control of its parent company ByteDance, the discussions reflect increasing pressure on the app’s future in the United States, where national security concerns have intensified. Sources cited in the report suggest that TikTok’s U.S. operations could be sold through either a competitive process or a government-arranged deal, signaling that ByteDance’s control over the app may be waning.
China’s government holds a “golden share” in ByteDance, which several U.S. lawmakers claim provides Beijing with significant influence over TikTok. ByteDance, however, has maintained that this stake “has no bearing on ByteDance’s global operations outside of China, including TikTok.”
Under one proposal, Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), could take over TikTok’s U.S. operations and manage the business collaboratively. However, officials have not reached a consensus on the matter, Bloomberg reported.
A TikTok spokesperson dismissed the report as “pure fiction,” while ByteDance, TikTok, Musk, and China’s Cyberspace Administration and Ministry of Commerce have not responded to requests for comment. It remains unclear whether ByteDance is aware of these talks or if Musk and TikTok have been directly involved in any negotiations.
The potential sale comes as the U.S. Supreme Court appears inclined to uphold legislation that could force TikTok to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban by January 19, citing national security concerns over its Chinese ties.
