MrBeast, Roblox CEO in $20B+ TikTok Bid

YouTube star MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) is reportedly among a group of investors vying to acquire TikTok in a bid exceeding $20 billion. Bloomberg reports Donaldson's partnership with Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital) in this ambitious endeavor. The group estimates a $25 billion purchase price for the social media giant.

While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has declared its U.S. operations are not for sale, and the Tinsley-led group acknowledges a lack of direct response, Donaldson's representatives confirm ongoing discussions with various parties. Donaldson aims to align with the eventual frontrunner, potentially shifting allegiances depending on the evolving situation. On January 22nd, he tweeted, “The leading groups who are all credible bidding on Tik Tok have reached out for us to help them, I’m excited to partner/make this a reality. Big things cooking.”

Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Microsoft's purported negotiations to acquire TikTok, expressing hope for a bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this claim.

TikTok experienced a temporary outage for its 170 million U.S. users shortly before a January 19th deadline requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell or face a ban on national security grounds. The app went offline after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal based on TikTok’s First Amendment challenge. The justices acknowledged common data practices in the digital age but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the vast amount of sensitive data collected as justification for differential treatment to address national security concerns.

Service was restored following assurances from former President Trump that TikTok wouldn't face penalties. TikTok stated at the time, “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

Upon assuming office on January 20th, former President Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He engaged in discussions with various companies and individuals regarding a potential TikTok buyout, expressing openness to X/Twitter owner Elon Musk assuming control.