Discussions are underway in Beijing about a potential deal involving Elon Musk acquiring TikTok's US operations if the app faces a ban. Chinese officials are exploring this contingency plan as a way to mitigate the impact of a potential US ban, while also seeking areas of cooperation with the Trump administration. Musk, a known ally of Trump, could see this deal as a way to boost his X platform (formerly Twitter) and his AI company, xAI.
evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok if the company fails to fend off a controversial ban on the short-video app, according to people familiar with the matter.
A potential high-profile deal with one of Trump’s closest allies holds some appeal for the Chinese government Musk and his representatives did not respond to a request for comment. Musk posted in April that he thinks TikTok should remain available in the US. “In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform,” he wrote on X. “Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is not what America stands for.”ByteDance and TikTok representatives didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.
ByteDance’s leaders have repeatedly said their priority is to fight US legislation that requires the Beijing-based company sell or shut down the US operations because of national security concerns. TikTok’s lawyers have argued the legislation violates free speech laws under the constitution’s first amendment.
On a practical level, spinning off TikTok’s US business would be highly complex, affecting shareholders in China as well as the US. Lawyers for TikTok argued before the supreme court that separating the US portions of the product would be “extraordinarily difficult”.
Business Politics ELON MUSK TIKTOK US BAN CHINESE GOVERNMENT DONALD TRUMP
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