TikTok denies rumors of sale to Elon Musk, calls report pure fiction amidst ongoing scrutiny

TikTok denies claims ByteDance plans to sell the app to Elon Musk, calling the report baseless and fictional.

TikTok has strongly denied recent reports suggesting that its parent company, ByteDance, is exploring the possibility of selling the popular social media platform to Elon Musk.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that "Chinese officials are considering a possible scenario in which Elon Musk would acquire TikTok's U.S. operations" if a new American law requires ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok or face a potential ban in the U.S. The report was based on anonymous sources.

In response to a request for comment from Variety, a TikTok representative stated, "We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction."

The speculation comes amid increasing scrutiny of TikTok by governments and regulatory bodies worldwide, particularly in the United States, where the app faces the possibility of being banned under a law scheduled to take effect on January 19, unless the Supreme Court intervenes with a ruling to block it.

Lawmakers have raised concerns over potential data-sharing practices between ByteDance and the Chinese government, an allegation the company has consistently denied.

Musk has not addressed the Bloomberg report regarding TikTok. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and the world’s richest person, Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, later rebranding it as X. According to the Bloomberg report, one potential scenario discussed by the Chinese government involves X "taking control of TikTok US and managing the businesses together."