MrBeast, the popular YouTuber, is reportedly part of a consortium attempting to acquire TikTok for over $20 billion. Bloomberg reports this group, including MrBeast, Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital), believes a $25 billion bid is necessary. While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has declared its U.S. operations are not for sale, and the Tinsley-led group hasn't received a direct response, MrBeast has indicated his willingness to participate with a leading bidder. He tweeted on January 22nd, expressing excitement about the potential partnership and hinting at significant developments.
Earlier this week, President Trump mentioned Microsoft's involvement in potential TikTok acquisition talks, anticipating a bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this.
TikTok, previously offline for its 170 million U.S. users due to a national security law requiring sale or ban, was temporarily shut down after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal based on First Amendment grounds. The court acknowledged common data practices but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the sensitive data it collects as justification for the government's national security concerns. Service resumed after assurances from President Trump that penalties would be avoided. TikTok stated this was a victory for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship, pledging to work with President Trump on a long-term solution.
Following his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump issued an executive order delaying law enforcement by 75 days. He's engaged in discussions with various parties regarding a potential TikTok buyout, including Elon Musk.
