All the people that could buy TikTok as deadline looms

There are a few different candidates that could buy TikTok to save it from being permanently banned in the US after Donald Trump lifted an incredibly short-lived ban.

However, let's not forget, Trump was one of the most vocal supporters of getting it banned in the first place, until he had an account on it... And now he's acting as its 'saviour'...

TikTok cut out in the country on Sunday (January 19) following a federal ban by the Supreme Court which required parent company ByteDance to sell its US version of the platform due to national security concerns over TikTok's links to China - despite TikTok's repeated denials it shares information with the country.

Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on Monday (January 20) and one of his first acts was to lift the ban (which he initially backed for years as previously mentioned), giving ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, an extra 75 days to sell up.

He has since said hinted a share of 50 per cent or more being sold may be enough for TikTok to continue in the US going forward.

Putting all of this to one side though, there's a key detail that a lot of people seem to be forgetting...

ByteDance has not yet publicly acknowledged its intention to sell TikTok or any part of it, meaning Trump's executive order could face legal challenges and this could all be purely academic.

However these are the candidates who have been linked with buying the social media platform.

Jon Kopaloff, Getty Images for Prime Video

MrBeast

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is YouTube's most subscribed channel and he has reportedly tabled an official bid to buy TikTok alongside an investor group, reports Dexerto.

On January 13, MrBeast said on X / Twitter he wanted to buy the social media platform so it wouldn't be banned which led to meetings with investors.

On Tuesday (January 21), the Paul Hastings Law Firm shared a blog post that said it is advising a "syndicate of investors" in an all-cash offer for TikTok's US operations and "various assets" from ByteDance.

While ByteDance has not responded to the cash offer, Axios reported director Bill Ford said a TikTok deal would be done so it doesn't become banned on April 5.

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Elon Musk

On Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would be interested in his new best friend Elon Musk buying the social media platform, to which he replied: "I would be, if he wanted to buy it."

Musk has not yet commented publicly about this.

Andrew Harnik, Getty Images

Larry Ellison

The other name that has been mentioned is Oracle founder, chair and chief technical officer Larry Ellison.

When speaking about Musk, Trump added: "I'd like Larry [Ellison] to buy it too."

Ellison himself was present at the press conference where Trump was asked this, and he said it sounded like a "good deal".

Prospective buyers have until April 5 when the ban becomes reinstated and permanent.

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