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In a Fox News interview on June 29, 2025, Trump announced that he already has a “group of very wealthy people” prepared to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations. He teased that he’ll “tell you in about two weeks” who they are—and he expects China’s Xi Jinping will likely approve the sale.
Who’s Potentially in That Group?
While Trump has stayed vague, the following high-profile bidders are strongly in contention:
| Bidder | Role & Status |
|---|---|
| Larry Ellison (Oracle) | Former front-runner—Trump publicly suggested him, and Oracle is TikTok’s current U.S. cloud provider. |
| Elon Musk | Trump said he’s “open” to Musk buying TikTok; Beijing reportedly considered Musk earlier—though Musk has publicly denied interest . |
| MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) | Leading a consortium under “The People’s Bid,” actively pursued TikTok acquisition . |
| Kevin O’Leary & Frank McCourt | O’Leary part of a $20 B bid under Project Liberty with McCourt; met with Trump on the offer . |
| Blackstone, Andreessen Horowitz & Microsoft | Mentioned in recent rounds as possible suitors . |
That gives us at least four major bidders—Echoing Trump’s earlier note in March of “four different groups” being involved.
Timeline & Mechanics
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June 19, 2025: Trump granted TikTok a third extension, pushing the U.S. sale deadline to September 17.
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Next ~2 weeks: According to Trump, revealed identities of the buyer group.
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Next steps: Deal must be approved by China, which Trump expects will “probably” happen.
Why All the Extensions?
Trump’s government paused TikTok’s forced sale three times (Jan, Apr, Jun), allowing more time for negotiations—often leveraging tariffs to pressure Beijing. The most recent deadline now sits at September 17, 2025 .
TL;DR
Trump claims a wealthy investor group is ready to buy TikTok. Leading candidates include Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, MrBeast, Kevin O’Leary/Frank McCourt, and other big firms like Blackstone, Microsoft, and Andreessen Horowitz. Final identities should come within two weeks, with the sale needing both U.S. approval and China’s green light.
