Who could buy TikTok? Meet the people who could acquire the app
Interested TikTok buyers are beginning to circle after the House passed a bill Wednesday that could force a sale of, or ban, the app if signed into law.
Interested TikTok buyers are beginning to circle after the House passed a bill Wednesday that could force a sale of, or ban, the app if signed into law.
The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act passed 352-65. Lawmakers expressed concerns that the Chinese government could use TikTok to spread misinformation and manipulate American users. Many emphasized that they were not trying to ban TikTok outright, although many of the app’s 170 million American users were not convinced.
If the Senate passes the bill and President Joe Biden signs it into law, ByteDance, TikTok's China-based parent company, would have to sell the app to an American company within six months. Otherwise, TikTok could be banned in the U.S.
While some critics have said that the timeline is unrealistic, some high-profile investors have expressed interest in acquiring the app. Here are the potential buyers so far in a possible TikTok sale — and a primer on companies that have previously tried.
Steven Mnuchin, an investment banker who served as treasury secretary under President Donald Trump, said he was getting a group of investors together to potentially buy TikTok, although he did not specify who. He also did not share a potential valuation for the app.
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