MrBeast, the popular YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, is reportedly among a group of investors vying to acquire TikTok in a bid exceeding $20 billion. Bloomberg reports this consortium includes Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital). The group estimates a $25 billion purchase price for the social media giant.
While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has declared its U.S. operations are not for sale, and the Tinsley-led group acknowledges a lack of direct response, Donaldson's representatives confirm ongoing discussions with various parties. Donaldson aims to align with the eventual frontrunner, suggesting potential shifts in alliances depending on the unfolding situation. He tweeted on January 22nd, "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."
Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Microsoft's involvement in TikTok acquisition talks, expressing hope for a bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this claim.
TikTok experienced a temporary outage for its 170 million U.S. users shortly before a January 19th deadline mandating either a sale by its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or a ban on national security grounds. The app went offline following the Supreme Court's rejection of TikTok's First Amendment appeal. The justices acknowledged common data practices in the digital age but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the volume of sensitive data collected as justification for addressing national security concerns.
Service resumed after assurances from former President Trump that penalties would be avoided. TikTok stated at the time, “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
Following his departure from office, former President Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He was involved in discussions with various entities regarding a potential TikTok buyout, including expressing openness to Elon Musk's involvement.
