Elon Musk, Mr. Beast, or Meek Mill: What’s Behind Their Potential Role in Buying TikTok in the United States?
Will the app ultimately be banned? The situation remains uncertain
Will TikTok remain available in the United States? The situation is uncertain. On January 19, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversaries-Controlled Applications Act comes into effect, potentially banning the platform nationwide. This has left many TikTok users worried—there are 170 million users in the U.S. alone.
The app could be pulled from the U.S. market because lawmakers oppose the policies of its parent company, ByteDance, which they allege shares confidential user data with the Chinese government.
This new law requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity before the deadline, or else the app will be removed from digital stores across the country.
ByteDance has appealed the decision, arguing that such a forced sale is technologically, commercially, and legally unfeasible.
Elon Musk: A Potential TikTok Buyer?
Rumors have circulated about possible buyers for the platform to prevent its shutdown in the U.S., with Elon Musk—owner of X (Twitter), Tesla, and other companies—topping the list. However, TikTok itself dismissed these claims, stating, «It’s pure fiction; there’s nothing to comment on.»
10,000 likes and I’ll buy TikTok and rename it Xvideos
— Elon Musk (Parody) (@ElonMuskAOC) January 14, 2025
Mr. Beast: TikTok’s Superhero?
The 26-year-old influencer and YouTube star Mr. Beast could potentially be the one to save TikTok. He ignited speculation with a tweet: “Okay, I’ll buy TikTok so they don’t ban it.”
Later, he added fuel to the rumors with another tweet: “Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off 🙌🏻.”
Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) January 14, 2025
Meek Mill Joins the Conversation
Rapper Meek Mill also expressed interest with a post that caught the internet’s attention: “Sell TikTok to me!” His tweet sparked a mix of intrigue and ridicule from users online.
Sell tik tok to me!
— MeekMill (@MeekMill) January 14, 2025
What’s Next?
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing TikTok’s request to delay the law’s enforcement, seeking a solution to avoid an outright ban. Answers are expected by Sunday.