illionaire Elon Musk has confirmed that he is not interested in purchasing TikTok, the popular short-video app under threat of a US ban due to national security concerns with its Chinese owner, ByteDance.
Musk’s comments on TikTok
Elon Musk‘s remarks, made in late January, were released online by The WELT Group, a division of German media company Axel Springer SE, which hosted a summit where the Tesla CEO joined via video conference. “I have not put in a bid for TikTok,” Musk stated, responding to President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he could buy the app if he wanted to.
Musk further clarified, “I don’t have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” noting that he does not use the app personally and is unfamiliar with its format. He emphasized his preference for building companies from scratch, adding, “I’m not chomping at the bit to acquire TikTok, I do not acquire companies in general, it’s quite rare.” Musk highlighted that his billion-dollar acquisition of the social media platform Twitter, now called X, was an exception to his usual business practices.
US Government’s actions on TikTok
President Trump recently signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of a ban on TikTok, which was initially set to be shuttered on January 19. ByteDance was given a deadline to sell its US assets or face a ban due to lawmakers’ concerns that the app could be compelled to share US user data with the Chinese government. TikTok has denied any plans to share such data.
Despite the delay, Apple and Google have not reinstated TikTok in their app stores following the enactment of a US law. In response, TikTok announced that it would allow US Android users to download and connect to the app through package kits available on its website.
Discussions on TikTok’s future
Trump has mentioned ongoing discussions with multiple parties regarding the purchase of TikTok, with a decision expected soon. The app has approximately 170 million American users. This week, Trump signed an executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund, which could potentially buy TikTok.
ByteDance’s stance and Trump’s reversal
ByteDance has consistently denied any plans to sell TikTok. Interestingly, Trump’s recent actions represent a reversal from his first term in office, where he unsuccessfully attempted to ban the app.
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