Amazon has submitted a last-minute bid to acquire TikTok as the video-sharing app faces a potential US ban if not sold by its Chinese owner, ByteDance, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
Despite the bid, sources say officials involved in the talks are not taking Amazon’s offer seriously. The most likely outcome remains a restructuring in which US investors in ByteDance roll over their stakes into a newly independent TikTok, with additional American backers such as Oracle and Blackstone reducing Chinese ownership.
President Donald Trump, who previously supported a TikTok ban, has since defended the app, acknowledging its influence among young voters.
He has suggested lowering tariffs on China to secure Beijing’s approval for a sale.
Other potential buyers include real estate mogul Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty, AI startup Perplexity, and a group led by internet personality MrBeast.
With Trump’s temporary delay on the ban expiring April 5, TikTok’s fate remains uncertain.
