Trump greenlights $14bn TikTok deal, shifting app’s control from China to US
President Donald Trump has advanced plans for American investors to acquire TikTok’s US operations from Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd., with officials pegging the deal at around $14 billion, according to a Bloomberg report.
The White House said the move complies with a 2024 law mandating ByteDance’s divestment or a ban on the app in the US.
“In an executive order signed Thursday, the president declared that the deal complies with the divest-or-ban law,” officials said. Trump added he had secured Chinese President Xi Jinping’s approval for the agreement.
Data safeguards and security
Under the plan, Oracle Corp. will secure US user data in a domestic cloud and oversee retraining of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm to prevent foreign interference. “ByteDance would not have access to information on TikTok’s US subscribers,” a US official said. The structure mirrors Project Texas, a 2022 proposal involving Oracle, which Washington later rejected.
Uncertainty over China’s stance and final approval
The Chinese embassy in Washington repeated its earlier position: “The U.S. side needs to provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese investors.” Beijing has not confirmed whether it has formally approved the deal.
Valuation dispute
US Vice President JD Vance estimated TikTok US would be valued at $14 billion — far below earlier forecasts of $35–40 billion. “Ultimately, the investors are going to make the determination about what they want to invest in,” Vance said.
Analysts were divided. Emarketer’s Jasmine Enberg said the figure aligned with expected ad revenue in 2026, but Union Bancaire Privee’s Vey-Sern Ling called it “daylight robbery.”
Abu Dhabi fund joins US investors with 15% stake
Talks remain ongoing over the final ownership structure. Oracle, Silver Lake Management, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX are among those negotiating board seats. The Guardian reported MGX, chaired by UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will take a 15% stake and a board seat in TikTok US.
Lawmakers to scrutinise deal terms
Congressional leaders signalled they will examine whether the arrangement truly ends ByteDance’s control. “If a deal has been struck, the details need to be shared with Congress,” said Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi. His Republican counterpart, John Moolenaar, pledged to review compliance with the 2024 law.
Deadline extended
Trump’s order gives the parties 120 days — until the end of January — to finalise the agreement, marking the fifth extension since the law came into effect. This extension again tests the limits of the divest-or-ban statute, which originally allowed only one pause.
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