In a dramatic turn of events, YouTube and TikTok sensation Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has joined forces with a group of investors to bid for TikTok as the platform faces a critical 75-day deadline to secure a non-Chinese owner—or risk being permanently banned in the United States.
On January 13, MrBeast took to X (formerly Twitter) with a playful post: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.” But according to his lawyer, his intentions are anything but a joke. The wildly popular content creator—who reigns as the most-followed YouTuber and the third-most-followed TikToker—followed up with a video on TikTok, declaring, “I just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires. TikTok, we mean business. This is my lawyer, and we’ve got an offer ready.”
This high-stakes bid comes as TikTok navigates a chaotic few days. Over the weekend, the app went dark in the U.S. due to a nationwide ban tied to national security concerns over its Chinese ownership. However, it reappeared hours later after President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for compliance by 75 days.
The investor group behind MrBeast’s bid includes high-profile names like Jesse Tinsley, founder of Employer.com, alongside institutional investors and wealthy individuals. Their proposal aims to preserve TikTok for its 170 million U.S. users while addressing national security concerns.
Tinsley described the offer as a “win-win solution,” ensuring continuity for users while complying with U.S. requirements. However, the financial details of the bid remain undisclosed.
This isn’t the first time TikTok has faced uncertainty. Discussions about its sale to a U.S.-based company have been ongoing since 2020. The situation intensified last week when the Supreme Court upheld a federal law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the platform to a non-China-based entity.
ByteDance has publicly resisted selling, leaving the platform’s future in limbo. Without a buyer, the ban is set to take effect after the 75-day extension, unless lawmakers pass new legislation—an unlikely outcome given bipartisan support for the existing law.
Competitive Bids in the Mix
MrBeast and his group aren’t the only ones vying for TikTok. Other bidders include “The People’s Bid for TikTok,” led by billionaire Frank McCourt and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary. Backed by Guggenheim Securities and internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee, this group is reportedly valuing TikTok’s assets—minus its prized algorithm—at $20 billion.
Meanwhile, Chinese officials are rumored to be considering a partial sale of TikTok to tech mogul Elon Musk, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
TikTok’s U.S. assets are estimated to be worth $40 billion to $50 billion, but the platform’s algorithm—a key driver of its success—isn’t guaranteed to be part of any deal, making the valuation complex.
As the clock ticks down, one thing is certain: the battle for TikTok is heating up, and its fate could rest in the hands of unexpected players like MrBeast.Link: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/21/business/mr-beast-buy-tiktok-ceo/index.html
