As a ban on TikTok in the United States looms this weekend, several celebrities, including Elon Musk and MrBeast, are reportedly in contention to purchase the popular social media platform from its Chinese parent company.
How Much Is TikTok Worth?
TikTok is valued at up to $200 billion in a “best case scenario,” according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. The estimate includes the platform’s highly coveted algorithm. Without the algorithm, Ives suggests TikTok’s value would be between $40 billion and $50 billion.
Why Is TikTok Facing A Ban?
ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, is a Chinese company, and U.S. lawmakers are concerned that usage of the app could lead to spying, political strife and other national security concerns.
The Protecting Americans’ Data From Foreign Adversaries Act, introduced in 2024, has given TikTok a deadline of January 19 to either sell to an American owner and continue operating in the U.S. or be banned.
The Supreme Court is hearing a case about whether banning TikTok infringes upon the First Amendment, and justices appear poised to maintain the ban.
A smartphone screen displays the logo of social media app TikTok. Celebrities like Elon Musk and MrBeast are reportedly considering buying TikTok.
Who Could Buy TikTok?
Several prominent figures have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok, though the terms of any potential purchase remain unclear. However, ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, has repeatedly said it does not plan to sell the platform.
Elon Musk
Reports suggest that Chinese authorities are eyeing tech billionaire Elon Musk to potentially buy of TikTok. Musk, the world’s richest man, is an influential figure in politics and technology. The owner of social media site X (formerly Twitter) was the largest political donor in the 2024 election.
According to Bloomberg, the Chinese government, which has a controlling “Golden Share” in ByteDance, would strongly prefer the company retain control of TikTok but is exploring alternatives, including a possible sale to Musk, as part of ongoing discussions about how to respond to the potential U.S. ban.
MrBeast
YouTube sensation MrBeast has joked about buying TikTok to stop its ban from going ahead in the United States.
MrBeast, given name Jimmy Donaldson, is the highest-paid content creator on YouTube. He has a reported annual salary of $54 million and holds the record for the most subscribers on YouTube, which he hopes to grow to 1 billion at some point.
“Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned,” MrBeast wrote Tuesday on X in a seemingly tongue-in-cheek post.
The next day, however, he responded to the post: “Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off.”
Kevin O’Leary
On January 6, Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank fame announced on Fox News‘ The Story with Martha MacCallum that he was in talks to buy TikTok. He added, however, that President-elect Trump would need to support the deal for it to happen.
“Trump will be who we have to work with to close the deal in the months ahead,” O’Leary said. “So I wanted to let him know, as well as others in his Cabinet, that we’re doing this, and we’re going to need their help.”
Frank McCourt
Frank McCourt, the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and creator of a non-profit called Project Liberty, is partnering with O’Leary on the deal. According to its profile on X, “Project Liberty is leading a movement of people who want to take back control of their lives in the digital age.”
In an interview with NBC News, McCourt said that his advisers, including investment bank Guggenheim Securities, are actively working on valuing TikTok without its algorithm. He mentioned that he had been in conversations with many of ByteDance’s investors, although they, too, are uncertain about ByteDance’s plans.
O’Leary shared a more detailed announcement about his partnership with Project Liberty on his own X account. “I’m excited to share that I’m partnering with Frank McCourt and the visionary team at @pro_jectliberty to lead The People’s Bid for TikTok,” he wrote.
What Happens Next
The Supreme Court‘s decision and any potential intervention by Trump could delay or alter the course of TikTok’s future in the United States, leaving open the possibility of a sale or continued operation under new ownership.
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