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Trump says Microsoft is in Talks to Acquire TikTok

  • President Donald Trump confirmed that Microsoft is in discussions to acquire TikTok, noting significant interest in the app and predicting multiple bidders.
  • Trump signed an executive order delaying the TikTok ban by 75 days and instructed the Department of Justice to halt enforcement of penalties, allowing the app to resume operations while remaining absent from app stores.
  • Perplexity AI and billionaire Frank McCourt have submitted proposals to merge with or acquire TikTok, while Trump has expressed openness to bids from high-profile figures like Elon Musk and Larry Ellison.

President Donald Trump revealed to reporters that Microsoft is currently engaged in discussions to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to a report by Bloomberg. While Trump did not provide specific details, he emphasized that “there’s great interest in TikTok” and predicted that “a lot of people will be bidding on it.”

This development comes after Microsoft and Oracle were previously considered frontrunners to acquire the ByteDance-owned app in 2020, when Trump first pressured TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership or face a potential ban in the United States.

In a recent move, Trump signed an executive order to extend the TikTok ban deadline by 75 days and instructed the Department of Justice to refrain from enforcing penalties related to the ban. Although the app has resumed operations, it remains unavailable in app stores, leaving its future uncertain.

Meanwhile, other parties have expressed interest in TikTok. Perplexity AI has submitted a proposal to merge with the social media platform, while billionaire Frank McCourt has made a formal offer to purchase it. Additionally, Trump has previously suggested that he would support bids from high-profile figures such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle chairman Larry Ellison.

The ongoing negotiations and competing offers highlight TikTok’s significant value and the intense interest it has garnered from both tech giants and influential investors.

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