Amazon is making a bold move to buy TikTok just as a potential U.S. ban of the app edges closer.
According to a Trump administration official, the e-commerce giant has submitted a bid for TikTok in a last-minute push to secure the platform before the ban takes effect on Saturday.
The offer was made in a letter addressed to Vice President J.D. Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, though the official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, remaining anonymous.
This bid comes as TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is still under pressure to either sell the platform to an approved buyer or shut it down in the U.S., following concerns over national security.
Although it’s not clear if ByteDance is willing to sell, other big names have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok.
Oracle, for example, has been a potential bidder for some time. The company already holds a 12.5% stake in TikTok Global and serves as the platform’s cloud technology provider.
Other contenders include investment firms like Blackstone and startups like Perplexity AI, which has pitched a merger with TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Perplexity AI argues that acquiring TikTok could prevent a monopoly and promises to rebuild the TikTok algorithm with a more transparent approach.
Additionally, there is a consortium organized by billionaire Frank McCourt, which has reportedly offered $20 billion in cash for the platform, according to The New York Times.
Meanwhile, Wyoming small business owner Reid Rasner claims to have made an even higher offer—around $47.5 billion.
Concerns about TikTok’s data security have been central to the ongoing debate. Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that TikTok could potentially share user data with the Chinese government, though TikTok has denied these claims.
As President Trump works to finalize a decision on the future of TikTok, it remains to be seen whether Amazon’s late bid will gain traction.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
