Trump says he's open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok

President Donald Trump made waves on Tuesday when he suggested that Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison could be suitable buyers for TikTok, the popular short-form video app currently owned by China’s ByteDance. Speaking at a press briefing about a joint venture in artificial intelligence infrastructure, Trump was asked about the possibility of Musk purchasing the platform.

“I would be if he wanted to buy it, yes,” Trump responded. “I’d like Larry to buy it, too.”

TikTok remains in limbo in the U.S. after Trump signed an executive order on Monday granting ByteDance 75 days to continue operations while seeking a resolution. The order suspends a ban that had been upheld by the Supreme Court last week under national security concerns unless ByteDance sells the U.S. business. Analysts have estimated TikTok’s U.S. operations to be worth around $50 billion, but Trump suggested its value could soar with the right permits.

“TikTok would be worthless without a permit to operate in the U.S., but could be worth $1 trillion with one,” Trump stated, emphasizing the platform's potential under American ownership.

Musk, a prominent financial backer of Trump’s 2024 campaign and the owner of social media platform X, and Ellison, a long-time Trump supporter and Oracle’s chairman, have both been linked to the app’s future. Oracle currently provides TikTok’s cloud infrastructure in the U.S.

“What I’m thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it and give half to the United States of America,” Trump added. “And we’ll give you the permit.”

Trump further argued that ByteDance would benefit from having “the ultimate partner” in the U.S., which he believes would make the deal “very worthwhile for them in terms of the permits and everything else.”

This marks a significant shift in Trump’s stance on TikTok. During his first term, he signed an executive order to ban the app, labeling it a national security threat. However, after meeting Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, a major ByteDance investor, Trump began expressing a more favorable view of the platform.

Although ByteDance has not confirmed plans to sell TikTok, reports suggest that the Chinese government may consider Musk as a potential buyer. Representatives for Musk, Oracle, and TikTok have not yet commented on the matter.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s attendance at Trump’s inauguration earlier this week has also fueled speculation about potential resolutions for the platform’s future in the U.S.