Tech billionaire Larry Ellison’s Oracle is reportedly a “leading contender to help run TikTok” as the Trump administration works to secure a sale that would avoid a complete ban of the China-owned app.
Trump has until April 5 to find a buyer for TikTok after he issued an executive order in January delaying enforcement of Congress’s ban by 75 days.
TikTok briefly went offline in January after ByteDance failed to meet a deadline to sell its stake over national security concerns.
ByteDance wants Oracle, which already serves as TikTok’s key cloud-computing provider, to be a partner in a potential deal, The Information reported, citing conversations with investors, bankers and former executives who are familiar with the Chinese company’s thinking.
Led by CEO Shou Zi Chew, ByteDance also reportedly wants to maintain a stake in TikTok’s operations after a deal – despite the terms of Congress’s law requiring it to sell.
TikTok declined to comment. Representatives for the White House and Oracle did not immediately return requests for comment.
The Information reported that ByteDance wants Trump to sign off on a deal with a revived version of TikTok’s “Project Texas” – a previous effort by the company to convince Congress that it was not a national security threat by parking US user data on servers controlled by Oracle.
That initiative, which failed to assuage Congress’s concerns, also called for Oracle to review TikTok’s source code to ensure it is safe.
Critics have long alleged that TikTok functions as a spying and propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party, which the company has strenuously denied.
During a White House event in January, Trump said he was open to the possibility of Ellison or X owner Elon Musk buying TikTok.
Ellison has yet to publicly comment on his interest, while Musk has said he has no plans to buy the video-sharing app.
Trump also has suggested that Microsoft could be involved in talks around a TikTok acquisition.
In March, the president said the White House was “dealing with four different groups” and a lot of people want it” but did not specify the names of the bidders.
Earlier this month, the president said he would “probably” extend the deadline again if it became necessary to complete a deal. He has also suggested that the US government could buy a stake in the app through a sovereign wealth fund as part of a joint venture, though the details remain murky.
Trump has reportedly tapped Vice President JD Vance to lead the sale negotiations.
A group led by billionaire Frank McCourt, “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has publicly campaigned to buy TikTok and rebuild its recommendation algorithm from scratch on US soil.
The group claims it will utilize blockchain technology to ensure users have greater control over how their data is monetized.
Others known to be interested include a bid that includes tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley, which reportedly includes YouTube star “MrBeast,” whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.
Any deal that involves ongoing Chinese ownership would likely run afoul of Congress’s law as currently written, which requires complete divestment by the country.
Senate intel committee chair Tom Cotton, a strong proponent of the law, has vowed to ensure any deal adheres to that standard.
As The Post reported last month, a national survey found that 77% of Americans were concerned about continued Chinese ownership of TikTok.
Apple and Google resumed allowing downloads of the TikTok app after receiving assurances from US Attorney General Pam Bondi that they would not face penalties – including the $5,000-per-user fine outlined in Congress’s sale-or-ban law.
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