MrBeast, the popular YouTuber, is reportedly part of a consortium attempting a $20 billion+ bid to acquire TikTok. This investor group, including MrBeast, Jesse Tinsley (Employer.com founder), David Baszucki (Roblox co-founder and CEO), and Nathan McCauley (Anchorage Digital head), estimates the acquisition cost at $25 billion.
Bloomberg reported on this ambitious bid, though the group acknowledges they haven't yet received a direct response from ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. ByteDance has publicly stated that TikTok's US operations are not for sale.
MrBeast's representatives clarified that he's engaged in discussions with various parties and aims to align with the eventual leading bidder, potentially shifting allegiances depending on the unfolding situation. A January 22nd tweet from MrBeast indicated his excitement about the prospect and hinted at significant developments.
Earlier this week, former President Trump mentioned Microsoft's purported negotiations to purchase TikTok, expressing hope for a bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this claim.
Prior to a January 19th deadline, TikTok was briefly taken offline for its 170 million US users. This followed a legal mandate requiring ByteDance to either divest its US operations on national security grounds or face a ban. The app's temporary shutdown occurred after the Supreme Court rejected TikTok's First Amendment challenge. The court acknowledged common data practices in the digital age but cited TikTok's scale, vulnerability to foreign influence, and the sensitive data it collects as justifying the government's national security concerns.
Service was restored following assurances from former President Trump that penalties would be avoided. TikTok stated this was a victory for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship, pledging to collaborate with the former President on a long-term solution to maintain its US presence.
Following the inauguration on January 20th, an executive order was signed to delay enforcement of the law by 75 days. Discussions regarding a potential TikTok buyout continued with various entities, including Elon Musk.
