The fate of TikTok already hangs on a knife’s edge, but well-known YouTuber Mr. Beast has announced interest in purchasing the app — along with a group of backers who have put together a bid worth at least $20 billion. The group of investors is a who’s-who of tech CEOs, including David Baszucki, CEO of Roblox; Nathan McCauley, CEO of Anchorage Digital; and Jesse Tinsley, founder of Employer.com.
The exact bid amount isn’t clear, but Tinsley told Bloomberg the group’s proposed number is “significantly higher” than other bids, including the alleged $20 billion bid placed by Project Liberty. However, how much progress the team will make isn’t clear, as Tinsley says the group hasn’t had direct contact with ByteDance.
Mr. Beast has not committed himself to the investment yet. He is apparently in talks with several different groups, and he plans to sign on with the front-runner in an attempt to guarantee partial ownership of the platform.
Currently, at least five groups are vying for the TikTok. Microsoft recently announced its interest and is in talks with Trump. Other potential buyers include Project Liberty, led by Kevin O’Leary and Frank McCourt; Steven Mnuchin, former Secretary of the Treasury; Elon Musk; and Larry Ellison, CTO of Oracle.
There are other interested buyers, as well, including a Saudi Prince and the AI platform Perplexity.
The rush to purchase TikTok follows Donald Trump’s 75-day extension after its initial ban. ByteDance and the Trump administration are seeking a buyer for 50/50 American ownership in TikTok, and Tinsley told Bloomberg his group “could stabilize TikTok and put it in a good place for users and data integrity across the United States population.”
