Elon Musk has denied reports that he is considering acquiring TikTok, dismissing speculation that Chinese officials had approached him to buy the platform to avoid a US ban.
Speaking at the WELT Economic Summit in Germany on January 28, Musk said he has no plans to bid for TikTok and does not see a strong reason to do so. He suggested that if he were to consider it, his main concern would be assessing the platform’s algorithm.
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Reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal suggested that Chinese officials had informally discussed selling TikTok to Musk, potentially allowing his platform X to take ownership. However, TikTok denied these claims, calling them “pure fiction.”
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny over national security concerns. A US bill initially required ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 20 or face a ban, but the deadline was extended by 75 days, now falling in April.
While Musk has ruled out a bid, investors like Kevin O’Leary and Frank McCourt have reportedly expressed interest, with a $20 billion offer. YouTuber MrBeast has also hinted at potential involvement.
With Musk out of the picture, TikTok’s future in the US remains uncertain as negotiations continue.
