Donald Trump recently suggested that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok and expressed interest in a bidding war. The US president indicated there would likely be significant competition for the app, which has about 170 million American users.
This development comes after Trump previously tried to separate TikTok from ByteDance in 2020 due to national security concerns during his first term. However, efforts to acquire TikTok collapsed shortly after he left office.
In late January last year, TikTok was briefly taken offline in the US before a new law requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell it or face a ban took effect on January 19. Trump later signed an executive order delaying enforcement of this law by 75 days.
Trump has been actively pursuing TikTok’s acquisition, suggesting he could make a decision in the next 30 days. He has also shown openness to Elon Musk’s potential offer if the Tesla CEO were interested. However, Musk has yet to comment on Trump’s proposal.
Recently, AI startup Perplexity AI made a proposal to merge with TikTok, potentially offering up to half of the new company to ByteDance in the future. Microsoft, whose top executive called the acquisition talks “strangest thing he’s ever worked on,” faced criticism for its past failure to conclude deals despite significant interest from potential buyers.
This complex series of events highlights the ongoing efforts and challenges involved in TikTok’s global journey as a popular app.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/28/donald-trump-microsoft-tiktok-purchase-claims