YouTube star MrBeast says he will 'buy TikTok'

His statement came after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on January 10, 2025, regarding a law that mandates TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform by January 19, 2025, or face a potential ban.

He wrote on X: "Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned."

Earlier, a report suggesting that China might sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire Elon Musk ignited a storm on American social media. 

Tiktok, however, dismissed the claim as “pure fiction."

The report, initially published by Bloomberg, indicated that Chinese officials had explored a scenario where Musk’s X platform could take over TikTok’s U.S. operations.

This consideration reportedly hinged on whether the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a potential ban on TikTok unless its American assets were sold by January 19.

TikTok swiftly denied the claims, labelling them as unfounded. “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction,” a spokesperson told BBC News.

Reportedly, national security concerns remain at the forefront of this issue, with the Biden administration contending that TikTok could be leveraged by the Chinese government for espionage or political manipulation.

TikTok has repeatedly denied these allegations, arguing that such a ban would infringe upon First Amendment rights in the U.S.

The situation took another twist as former President Donald Trump, set to return to office on January 20, urged the Supreme Court to delay its decision.

Trump’s legal team indicated that he opposes an outright ban and prefers addressing the matter through political channels. Speculation intensified after Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago estate in December.

In Congress, bipartisan calls to extend the January 19 deadline are gaining traction. Lawmakers, including Senator Edward Markey and Representative Ro Khanna, have pressed the Biden administration to allow more time for negotiations, reported the BBC.

However, a sale seems unlikely. ByteDance has consistently resisted the idea, largely due to the importance of TikTok’s algorithm, which is the driving force behind the app’s success. CEO Shou Chew has warned that separating American users from the app’s current infrastructure could effectively “break” TikTok.

Additionally, Beijing has strongly indicated it won’t allow a forced sale of the platform.

Despite these hurdles, potential buyers are reportedly lining up, eager to acquire one of the world’s most influential social media platforms.