Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian has joined up with Frank McCourt and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary on their bid to acquire TikTok from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, the group announced on Monday.
Ohanian, a venture capitalist and onetime executive chairman at Reddit, will serve as a “strategic adviser.” McCourt has referred to his plans to buy TikTok as “The People’s Bid” and wants to rebuild the app’s algorithm on US soil.
“Alexis Ohanian’s role as Strategic Advisor for Project Liberty and The People’s Bid for TikTok brings invaluable expertise to our initiative,” McCourt said in a statement. “His unique vision and deep personal commitment to user empowerment through social media platforms align perfectly with our transformative approach.”
President Trump has until April 5 to find a US buyer for TikTok before his executive order delaying enforcement of a federal ban on the app expires. TikTok briefly went offline in January after ByteDance missed a Jan. 19 deadline to completely divest.
McCourt has said his bid will satisfy US national security concerns about TikTok – in part by rebuilding the app on a decentralized blockchain platform dubbed “Frequency” that will allow users to control how their data is used and monetized.
Ohanian, who is married to tennis superstar Serena Williams, cited the group’s plan as a key reason why he decided to come aboard.
“I’ve spent my entire career building tech that puts power back in people’s hands – that’s what got me excited about The People’s Bid,” Ohanian said. “This isn’t just about TikTok, it’s about fundamentally rewiring how the internet works.”
McCourt and O’Leary submitted their bid to buy TikTok in early January and have said they have at least $20 billion in commitments from investors.
But as the April 5 deadline approaches, it remains unclear if ByteDance – and the Chinese government – will allow a forced sale to occur.
Apple and Google briefly halted downloads of TikTok in response to Congress’s ban, but later restored access after receiving assurances from Trump’s US Attorney General Pam Bondi that they would not face penalties.
Trump has reportedly tapped Vice President JD Vance to oversee the potential sale. He has also floated the possibility of somehow extending the sale window, though it’s unclear if he has the authority to do so.
Aside from the McCourt-led bid, Trump has suggested that Microsoft and Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison could be involved in a TikTok deal.
X owner Elon Musk has said he has no plans to get involved despite suggestions to the contrary.
Other bidders include a group led by tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley and YouTube star “MrBeast,” whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.
As The Post reported last month, a recent national survey showed 77% of Americans are concerned about ongoing Chinese ownership of TikTok.
With Post wires
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