YouTube personality “MrBeast” Jimmy Donaldson and a group of investors tapped Brad Bondi, the brother of President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Justice Department, for legal advice on their bid to buy TikTok.
Jimmy Donaldson - aka MrBeast - was jubilant as he told his tens of millions of TikTok followers about his bid to buy the platform. "I might become you guys' new CEO! I'm super excited!" Donaldson said from a private jet. He then proceeded to promise $10,000 to five random new followers.
A string of big names from the world of tech and even the US government have been touted as potential new owners of the social media giant. It comes after President Trump signed an executive order giving the company 75 days to convince officials it does not threaten national security.
Content creator Jimmy Donaldson, known on the Internet as MrBeast, has made it clear he is interested in buying TikTok. Donaldson has the most subscribers of any user on YouTube— over 340 million—and boasts over 113 million TikTok followers.
TikTok was no longer available in the USA. As no buyer could be found, the ban, which both Republicans and Democrats under former US President Joe Biden had campaigned for, came into effect last Sunday.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law banning the app if it is not sold. The social media platform briefly went dark in the US days before Trump took office, after the Supreme Court denied a bid by its Chinese owner ByteDance to overturn the legislation.
The president-elect and Joe Biden are reportedly exploring legal avenues for keeping the app accessible. Meanwhile, a growing list of entrepreneurs are said to be weighing a buyout.
A day after his inauguration, President Donald Trump said he'd be on board with Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison buying TikTok. In a Tuesday press briefing announcing a $500 billion artificial intelligence joint venture with Oracle, Trump said he was open to the idea of Ellison or Musk buying TikTok.
The high-profile names who could potentially buy TikTok following the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the law banning the platform in the US.
As TikTok faces a potential ban, various bidders, including Elon Musk and Larry Ellison, are key contenders to buy the platform. Meanwhile, Netflix remains a possible option among streaming giants, though the company has not historically pursued major acquisitions.