Chinese officials are reportedly exploring the potential sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire Elon Musk, according to *Bloomberg News*. The move is being considered as a contingency plan if the short-video app is unable to avoid a looming ban in the United States.
Sources cited in the report indicate that Beijing would prefer TikTok to remain under the control of its parent company, ByteDance. However, the escalating scrutiny and national security concerns from U.S. lawmakers may push the company toward alternative solutions, including a sale.
The report suggests that TikTok’s U.S. operations could be sold either through a competitive bidding process or via a government-directed arrangement, signaling that ByteDance may no longer have full control over the app’s future.
China’s government holds a “golden share” in ByteDance, which gives it partial influence over the company. Critics, including members of Congress, have argued that this stake provides Beijing with leverage over TikTok, fueling bipartisan concerns about the platform’s operations in the U.S.
One option reportedly under consideration involves Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), taking control of TikTok’s U.S. operations. The report claims that X and TikTok could operate jointly under Musk’s leadership, although no consensus has been reached within Chinese government circles about this plan.
It is unclear how much ByteDance is aware of these discussions or whether Musk and TikTok have been involved in any preliminary negotiations regarding a possible deal.
A TikTok spokesperson dismissed the report, saying, “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction.” The company has previously maintained that the Chinese government’s “golden share” has no influence over its global operations outside of China, including TikTok.
Requests for comment from Elon Musk, ByteDance, X, and China’s Cyberspace Administration and Ministry of Commerce have gone unanswered as of now.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain, as the platform continues to face mounting pressure from lawmakers and federal agencies. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to uphold legislation that could either force ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations or result in a nationwide ban of the app by January 19.
U.S. officials have expressed concerns that TikTok’s ownership structure could allow the Chinese government to access user data or influence content, allegations that TikTok has consistently denied.
While no formal decisions have been made, the potential sale of TikTok U.S. to Musk would mark a dramatic development in the ongoing saga surrounding the app’s future in the United States. Whether such a deal materializes remains uncertain, but with the January 19 deadline looming, TikTok’s fate may soon be decided.
