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Social Media Titans Eyeing Acquisition of TikTok

Author : Zoe Update : Feb 19,2025

MrBeast, the popular YouTuber, is reportedly part of a consortium attempting a $20 billion+ bid to acquire TikTok. This group, including Jesse Tinsley (Employer.com founder), Roblox CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (Anchorage Digital), estimates the purchase price at $25 billion.

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's representatives indicate he's engaged in discussions with multiple parties. MrBeast tweeted on January 22nd, expressing his eagerness to participate in the acquisition, stating, "The leading groups who are all credible bidding on Tik Tok have reached out for us to help them, I’m excited to partner/make this a reality. Big things cooking." He suggests his involvement might shift depending on the unfolding situation.

MrBeast's reported bid to acquire TikTok is generating significant attention. Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images.

Earlier this week, President Trump mentioned Microsoft's purported negotiations to buy TikTok, anticipating a potential bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this claim.

Prior to a January 19th deadline, a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban led to a temporary shutdown for the app's 170 million U.S. users. This followed the Supreme Court's rejection of TikTok's First Amendment challenge. The court acknowledged common data practices in the digital age but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the sensitive data it collects as justification for addressing national security concerns.

Service was restored 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 to maintain its U.S. presence.

Following his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump issued an executive order delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He's engaged in discussions with various entities and individuals regarding a potential TikTok buyout, including Elon Musk.