“China Mulls Potential Sale of TikTok US to Musk”

Chinese officials are in preliminary talks about the possibility of selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire Elon Musk if the short-video app cannot avoid an impending ban, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.
Beijing officials would prefer that TikTok remain under the control of its parent company, ByteDance, the report said, citing sources.
The U.S. operations of TikTok could be sold either through a competitive process or a government arrangement, suggesting that the app’s future is no longer solely in ByteDance’s control.
The Chinese government holds a “golden share” in ByteDance, which several members of Congress have said gives the government influence over TikTok.
Under one scenario, Musk’s social media platform X would take control of TikTok U.S. and operate the business together, the report stated.
Officials have yet to reach a consensus on how to proceed, according to Bloomberg News.
A TikTok spokesperson responded to the report, saying, “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction.”
It is unclear how much ByteDance is aware of the discussions or Musk and TikTok’s involvement, and no information has been provided on whether ByteDance, TikTok, and Musk have engaged in any talks about a potential deal.
TikTok has previously stated that the government’s stake “has no bearing on ByteDance’s global operations outside of China, including TikTok.”
Elon Musk, X, and China’s Cyberspace and Ministry of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Last week, the Supreme Court appeared inclined to uphold a law that would force a sale or ban of TikTok in the U.S. by January 19, due to national security concerns about China.