Talks led by the White House to determine TikTok’s future are coalescing around a proposal that would have some of ByteDance’s largest non-Chinese investors increase their stakes and acquire the U.S. operations of the popular short video app.
The plan, according to two sources familiar with the discussions, involves spinning off a U.S. entity for TikTok and reducing Chinese ownership to below the 20 percent limit mandated by U.S. law—an effort aimed at saving the app from an imminent ban on national security grounds.
The proposed deal has drawn strong support from existing ByteDance investors, including Jeff Yass’ Susquehanna International Group and Bill Ford’s General Atlantic, both of which sit on ByteDance’s board. Private equity firm KKR is also participating, the sources said. Under the plan, Oracle would continue to host U.S. user data and guarantee that it remains inaccessible to China, reinforcing assurances of data security.
The proposed restructuring comes in the wake of a law, effective January 19, that requires ByteDance to either divest its U.S. operations or face a ban. U.S. officials have raised concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership, arguing that it makes the app vulnerable to potential influence operations by the Chinese government—a claim the company denies, insisting that its content recommendation engine and user data are managed domestically.
White House involvement in the negotiations has been unprecedented, with the administration essentially taking on the role of an investment bank to broker a deal that would allow ByteDance to maintain a stake in TikTok while transferring operational control. The deal is seen as critical not only for TikTok’s survival in the U.S. market but also for setting a precedent in U.S.-China technology relations.
Other groups, including an investor consortium led by billionaire Frank McCourt and another involving YouTube personality Mr. Beast, are also reported to be vying for the app. However, current indications suggest that existing ByteDance investors are the frontrunners in the discussions.
Representatives for TikTok, ByteDance, Susquehanna, Oracle, and the White House could not immediately be reached for comment.
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U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of September, covering the latest developments.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
A Chinese national was pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, authorities said, 10 days after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a Himalayan valley, killing more than 1,300 people and leaving more than 5,600 missing.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Spanish authorities are preparing a new site in Ceuta to accommodate hundreds of migrants who remain on the streets following large-scale arrivals in July, local media reported Saturday.
At least two people were killed and dozens injured on Friday after an explosion at a military barracks in the Bolivian municipality of Viacha, about 30 km (20 miles) from La Paz, Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano said.
The resolution, sponsored by African countries and led by Togo, passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. The United States was the only country to vote against it.
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