Trump Inks Deal to Keep TikTok Alive in the US with Oracle-Led Ownership President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that finalizes a deal to bring TikTok’s US operations under American control, ending more than a year of uncertainty for the popular video app. The agreement creates a new US-based company, with a consortium of American investors taking a majority stake while ByteDance, the Chinese owner, will retain a minority share and continue to license the app’s core algorithm. The future of TikTok in the United States has been in question since former President Joe Biden signed a law last year that required ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban. The Supreme Court upheld that law in January, and the app briefly went offline just as Trump was taking office. Trump quickly moved to extend the ban deadline, and his latest executive order declares that the plan to spin off a US entity satisfies the requirements of the original ban order. This executive order follows intense interest from various US companies and investors. Microsoft, Amazon, Perplexity AI, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, and YouTuber MrBeast were all reportedly among those who explored acquiring the business. Under the newly finalized arrangement, US investors will hold a controlling interest in the new TikTok entity. A core group of investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX will collectively own 45 percent of the business. Trump confirmed Oracle’s involvement and also named Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch as part of the investor group. ByteDance will maintain a 19.9 percent stake, with the remaining shares going to a group that includes ByteDance’s previous investors. Vice President JD Vance stated the new company would be valued at approximately $14 billion. Oracle, which has a prior history of working with TikTok on data security, will continue in a key role overseeing the app’s algorithm and security. The fate of the algorithm has been a central point of debate. Some lawmakers have expressed skepticism about any deal that licenses the algorithm from ByteDance instead of putting it under full American ownership. Earlier this week, both the Republican chair and the Democratic ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party voiced concerns about an arrangement that does not place the algorithm squarely in US hands. Addressing reporters after the executive order was signed, Vice President Vance sought to reassure critics, stating that the deal ensures US investors will have control over how the algorithm recommends content to users. When asked if the algorithm would now favor MAGA content, President Trump remarked that while he would love for the platform to be 100 percent MAGA, it would, in fact, treat everyone fairly. Trump also stated that China is fully on board with the agreement. This deal effectively resolves the immediate threat of a TikTok ban in the United States, placing the app under a new ownership structure designed to address national security concerns while allowing it to continue operating for its millions of American users.
