AsianFin -- The Chinese government is reportedly exploring a plan for Elon Musk to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations as a way to prevent the app from being effectively banned in the United States, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.
The proposal is one of several contingency plans China is considering as the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest its U.S. operations by January 19. According to the report, failure to comply with the divestiture deadline could result in penalties for third-party internet service providers that support TikTok in the U.S.
Under the proposed plan, Musk would manage both X (formerly Twitter), which he owns, and TikTok’s U.S. business. However, the plan remains in a preliminary stage, and Chinese officials have not yet decided whether to move forward, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources.
It is unclear whether ByteDance is aware of the Chinese government’s discussions or Musk’s potential involvement. According to the report, senior Chinese officials are weighing TikTok’s future in the U.S. as part of broader talks about engaging with President-elect Donald Trump.
When reached for comment, a TikTok spokesperson said, “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction.” X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding the law signed by President Joe Biden in April, which could lead to a ban on TikTok. TikTok’s legal team argued that the legislation infringes on the free speech rights of millions of U.S. users. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has maintained that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok poses significant national security risks.
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