MrBeast gives update on TikTok 'offer' after app goes dark for 170 million US users

TikTok has gone dark for US users after the popular app was pulled from both Apple and Google’s app stores.

In a dramatic turn of events, TikTok has gone dark for 170 million U.S. users after the popular app was pulled from both Apple and Google’s app stores on January 18.

The move came just ahead of a federal law designed to ban the social media giant, leaving users with nothing more than a message on their screens that read, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

The uncertainty around the future of TikTok has prompted a handful of high-profile figures to step forward with offers to buy the app, and one of the most notable names to throw his hat in the ring is YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast.

On January 14, MrBeast tweeted: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.” His tweet quickly went viral, igniting a wave of hope among TikTok fans for a potential resolution.

"I've had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off," MrBeast told his followers shortly after his initial tweet, hinting at serious talks. The 26-year-old star continued to keep his audience on edge, sharing updates about meetings with "a bunch of billionaires." In a follow-up TikTok video, MrBeast remarked, "Just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires, TikTok, we mean business."

As the clock ticks down toward the official ban, fans eagerly await more details. One fan tweeted their hopes for the YouTube mogul to make good on his promise, and MrBeast responded with a cryptic "Can’t say anything right now, stay tuned."

“Can’t say anything right now, stay tuned”

MrBeast responded to people asking him to buy TikTok after it shut down in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/JFKBLT90iB

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) January 19, 2025

Meanwhile, TikTok's message to users indicated that President-elect Donald Trump may play a role in the platform’s future. “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the message reads. Trump himself has suggested that he might give TikTok 90 more days to negotiate a deal that would allow the platform to avoid a U.S. ban. "I haven’t decided what to do yet, but I’m considering granting TikTok a reprieve," Trump said in an interview with NBC News.

The fate of TikTok remains uncertain as 170 million U.S. users wait to see if their favorite video-sharing app will survive the looming ban. As MrBeast puts it, “stay tuned” — both for his next moves and for the potential future of TikTok in America.