By NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs
Elon Musk has expressed that he has no interest in acquiring TikTok, the widely used social video application that the United States has sought to ban due to national security issues associated with its Chinese parent company, Bytedance Ltd.
These remarks, which mark his initial comments regarding a potential purchase of TikTok, were made during a conference in Germany organized by Mathias Doepfner, the billionaire CEO of the German media conglomerate Axel Springer, last month.
“I have not submitted a bid for TikTok,” Musk stated while participating in the conference remotely via video, a session that was made public on Saturday. “I do not have any plans regarding what I would do if I were to acquire TikTok.” Musk also noted that he does not personally use the platform.
“I am not eager to acquire TikTok,” Musk remarked, recalling his acquisition of Twitter in 2022, which he subsequently rebranded as X. “I typically prefer to build companies from the ground up.”
In January, Bloomberg News reported that Chinese officials were contemplating a scenario that could enable the world’s wealthiest individual and a close associate of President Donald Trump to acquire TikTok’s US operations, should the company be unable to prevent a ban. According to sources familiar with the situation, one possibility involves Musk’s X taking control of TikTok in the United States and managing the business collaboratively.
On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order that temporarily suspended any forced sale or shutdown of TikTok, thereby granting the company and its Chinese parent additional time to negotiate a resolution. This order was signed mere hours after Trump’s inauguration, which was attended by Bytedance CEO Shou Chew.
This executive order represented the latest development in a prolonged effort in Washington to prohibit the app due to security concerns. Although Trump initially supported a ban during his first term, he reversed his stance after the app proved instrumental in securing the support of younger voters. “We won the young vote. I think I won it through TikTok, so I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” he remarked.
Similar to Trump, Musk may also alter his position. Trump has expressed openness to the idea of Musk, who contributed over $250 million to his presidential campaign, or Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison acquiring the app in a joint venture with the US government. Recently, Trump signed another executive order aimed at directing officials to establish a US sovereign wealth fund that could facilitate the sale of TikTok.
While ByteDance has publicly declined to sell TikTok, potential buyers remain hopeful that a Supreme Court ruling supporting a national security law compelling the company to either divest or cease operations in the US might prompt a reconsideration. However, the decision may not rest solely with the company, as the Chinese government would also need to approve any transaction.
