Official press releases or announcements from TikTok or the consortium

MrBeast Joins $50B Bid to Acquire TikTok, Eyes CEO Role Amid U.S. Ban Deadline

Jan 21, 2025, 10:36 PM

YouTube personality MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) has joined a group of American investors in an all-cash bid to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations, which are estimated to be valued between $40 billion and $50 billion. The investor group is led by Jesse Tinsley, founder of Employer.com, and includes institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. MrBeast has also suggested he could become TikTok's new CEO if the deal succeeds. The bid comes amid a 75-day deadline set by President Donald Trump for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell the platform to a U.S.-based entity or face a nationwide ban. The legal team for the consortium is headed by Brad Bondi, brother of Trump's Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, who has previously represented Elon Musk in legal disputes with the SEC. The group has emphasized that their proposal addresses national security concerns while ensuring the continuation of TikTok's operations for its 170 million U.S. users. The financial details of the offer remain undisclosed, and it is unclear whether ByteDance is seriously considering the bid. Other potential buyers, including Elon Musk and Amazon, have also expressed interest in the platform.