US President Donald Trump has suggested a potential buyer for TikTok’s US operations in a recent interview, though he did not name specific companies.

The sale is contingent on approval from the Chinese government.

According to a source familiar with the negotiations, potential buyers include a consortium of Oracle Corp., Blackstone Inc., and Andreessen Horowitz.

This group had previously sought to acquire TikTok’s US unit but faced delays due to trade tensions between the United States and China.

In the proposed deal, new investors would hold 50% of TikTok’s US operations, while ByteDance’s existing US investors would own an additional 30%.

ByteDance’s stake in TikTok’s US operations would decrease to below 20%, addressing US security concerns. Oracle is expected to take a minority stake and provide security assurances for user data.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that negotiations with China are ongoing. Representatives from Oracle, Blackstone, Andreessen Horowitz, ByteDance, and TikTok have not commented.

China’s position on the sale remains unclear. When asked, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated Beijing’s established stance but did not provide further details.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ TikTok illustrates evolution from trade war to tech competition

The TikTok sale situation represents a fundamental shift in US-China relations from traditional tariff disputes to strategic technology competition.

The original TikTok deal structure, giving new investors 50% ownership, existing US investors 30%, and ByteDance under 20%, reflects the complex balance between business continuity and national security concerns 1.

This trend extends beyond TikTok, with research showing the US has implemented over 1,244 export control listings targeting Chinese technology companies, demonstrating how consumer apps have become geopolitical chess pieces 2.

Both countries are now competing for technological dominance in strategic sectors, particularly semiconductors and AI, with the US focusing on restricting China’s access to advanced technologies rather than just imposing tariffs 3.

The stalled TikTok deal highlights this shift, beginning as part of trade negotiations but evolving into a technology sovereignty issue that remained unresolved even after the countries reached agreement on traditional trade matters.