A report from NPR indicates that the Trump administration is in talks for Oracle to acquire TikTok with new U.S. investors.
Legislators passed a bill last year mandating Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. The app faced a temporary blackout before the law took effect on January 20, but President Donald Trump intervened with an executive order to delay the ban.
Initially, Trump proposed a deal for a joint venture between current or new owners where the U.S. would have a 50% stake.
Recent reports suggest that a deal is in progress where Oracle would control TikTok’s global operations and ByteDance would retain a minority ownership.
Trump previously tried to push TikTok for a sale during his first term, with Oracle as a potential buyer. While a sale did not materialize, TikTok shifted its U.S. traffic to Oracle servers. Trump mentioned in a press conference that he would be open to either Elon Musk or Larry Ellison of Oracle buying the app.
Some senators who supported the bill for a sale or ban have expressed confusion about Trump’s intentions and believe ByteDance is required to fully divest.
