Trump says he’s open to Elon Musk buying TikTok

US President Donald Trump had said he would be open to Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), acquiring TikTok as part of a joint venture with the US government.

Mr Trump said this at the White House on Tuesday.

“I would be (open to it) if he wanted to buy it,” the new president said when asked if he was open to Mr Musk buying the video-sharing app.

He also indicated his support for a potential acquisition by Larry Ellison, chairman of Oracle Corporation, a multinational tech company.

“I have the right to make a deal,” Mr Trump said. “So what I’m thinking about saying to somebody is buy it and give half to the United States of America, half, and we’ll give you the permit, and they’ll have a great partner.”

Mr Trump had earlier signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law requiring the platform’s sale or ban.

In 2024, the US Congress passed a legislation signed by President Joe Biden, which mandated TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations to an approved buyer within nine months.

The law prohibits internet hosting services and mobile app marketplaces from offering TikTok to American users.

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However, Mr Trump has said that during the extension, the US will not enforce the law.

Last week, TikTok suspended and restored its services to users in the United States within 15 hours. This was barely two days after the US Supreme Court’s ruling upheld the law forcing ByteDance to sell.

The social media platform, which cut off access for about 170 million users nationwide, attributed its return to President-elect Donald Trump’s move to save the app by delaying the ban’s enforcement.

In its welcome notification sent to users in the country, TikTok said, “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”