Trump Pushes for TikTok Acquisition by Oracle’s Ellison, or Musk
On Tuesday, one day after his inauguration, President Donald Trump indicated his openness to selling TikTok’s US operations to tech leaders, Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison, and with that decision, the Trump TikTok sale could go into full motion in the next two months.
Speaking during a press conference, President Trump positively addressed the idea of a TikTok sale to Musk or Ellison with any of the two leaders leading the app’s acquisition, following Monday’s executive order granting a 75-day extension before TikTok’s ban for national security reasons takes effect.
The Chinese app’s future in the US now hangs by a thread, under these starch conditions, if China accepts the President’s terms, then it will be established that in the next two months or so, the best call to action would be Donald Trump canceling TikTok ban.
Why Trump Supports TikTok Sale
Analysts estimate TikTok’s US business at $50 billion, but President Trump suggested its value could reach $1 trillion with the right permit to maintain US operations.
“What I’m thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it and give half to the United States of America. And we’ll give you the permit,” said Donald Trump about TikTok sale, in a statement.
The 47th US President also mentioned that the new partner of TikTok in the US would be the sale deal worthy for ByteDance, potentially easing the regulatory obstacles.
For Trump and his administration, Musk and Ellison are the key candidates for the acquisitions of the video-sharing platform due to their, well, newly forged close relationship with President.
Musk, a key financial backer of Trump’s 2020 campaign, wields powerful influence in the current administration, while Ellison, along time Trump supporter, leads Oracle, which provides TikTok’s US cloud infrastructure.
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, had not commented or shared its stance on the selling the platform, despite the brokage of the Trump TikTok sale news.
Donald Trump and TikTok Ban Strategy
Trump’s position on banning TikTok in the US created a beast that cannot be tamed, where the app’s US fate lies in the hands of two controversial men. Musk, a polarizing figure known for his influence in the tech world, unconventional behavior, and business decisions.
Ellison, known for his aggressive business tactics, monopolistic allegations, and most prominently, ethical questions surrounding Oracle’s data analytics services and surveillance practices.
In the past few months, though, his tone has calmed down, especially following a meeting with billionaire Republican donor Jeff Yass, a prominent investor in ByteDance.
While ByteDance hasn’t made any official statements regarding the issue, TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew was reportedly present at Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., an indication that there are still some ties between the app and the former president.
The possible involvement of big names such as Musk and Ellison in a future TikTok will mark a whole different trajectory of the app.
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