A group of American investors, including YouTube sensation MrBeast, has put forward an offer exceeding $20 billion to acquire TikTok, according to Bloomberg.
Jesse Tinsley, who represents the group in its bid for TikTok’s US operations, revealed that two additional tech executives have joined as investors. He emphasized that their offer is notably higher than competing bids, likely referring to Project Liberty, another entity eyeing the platform’s US segment.
However, Tinsley acknowledged that his group is not in direct talks with ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, and has yet to receive a response. “We are not in direct contact with ByteDance and so far we have not received any response to our offer,” he told Bloomberg.
ByteDance has consistently rejected the idea of selling TikTok’s US operations. Meanwhile, the company is in discussions with the US government to prevent a ban or forced sale.
The uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future stems from former President Donald Trump’s executive order, which initially paused the platform’s ban for 75 days. Since then, he has reiterated that TikTok must sell its US operations to continue functioning in the country.
It remains unclear whether ByteDance or the Chinese government is considering the offer from Tinsley’s group.