Official announcements from U.S. government or ByteDance

China Considers Selling TikTok's U.S. Operations to Elon Musk Before January 19 Deadline

Jan 14, 2025, 10:00 PM

Chinese officials are reportedly considering the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations to Elon Musk as a contingency plan if ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, fails to overturn a looming U.S. ban set to take effect on January 19, 2025. This potential move comes amidst discussions on how to address the U.S. legislation that requires ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban. TikTok has denied these reports, labeling them as 'pure fiction.' Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who already owns X (formerly Twitter), has not publicly commented on the matter. The discussions highlight Musk's increasing role as a power broker in U.S.-China relations, with some suggesting that his close ties to both President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese authorities could facilitate such a deal. The outcome of these talks remains uncertain as the deadline approaches, with significant implications for the future of TikTok in the U.S. market.