In a bold twist in the TikTok takeover saga, renowned YouTuber MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) has reportedly teamed up with top investors—including Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, Jesse Tinsley of Employer.com, and Anchorage Digital’s Nathan McCauley—to mount a bid for the social media giant. According to Bloomberg, the group is eyeing a deal worth more than $20 billion, with some insiders suggesting that a total of $25 billion might be necessary to secure TikTok.
The potential acquisition comes at a time when TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, finds itself in a regulatory and political whirlwind. Recently, TikTok was briefly taken offline for its 170 million U.S. users due to a contentious law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations on national security grounds. Although the app has since returned online following assurances from former President Donald Trump, the episode has only heightened the stakes in this high-profile bidding war.
While ByteDance maintains that its U.S. business is not for sale, the group of investors, who are still awaiting direct feedback, remains undeterred. MrBeast’s representative hinted in a tweet that discussions are ongoing with multiple parties, with the promise of “big things cooking.” This news adds another layer to the already intense speculation, especially as other potential bidders—including a rumored Microsoft deal mentioned by Donald Trump—are said to be in the mix, though Microsoft has yet to confirm any such talks.
This latest development follows a series of strategic moves by major players looking to consolidate their influence in the digital arena. With TikTok’s vast user base and significant cultural impact, any acquisition would undoubtedly reshape the social media landscape and set new precedents for cross-border tech deals. Industry watchers are now keenly observing how regulatory pressures and international relations might influence the final outcome.
As the bidding war heats up, all eyes will be on how this ambitious coalition of influencers and tech leaders navigates the challenges of acquiring one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. Will their $25 billion bid tip the scales, or will ByteDance hold firm against the pressure? Only time will tell.
