President Donald Trump has confirmed that Microsoft is among the companies interested in acquiring TikTok, but declined to provide a full list of potential bidders.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on January 27, Trump said, "I can say yes, Microsoft is in talks. There’s a lot of interest in TikTok—a lot. I love bidding wars because we always get the best deals."

TikTok Faces Pressure to Sell or Face Ban

Trump’s comments come as TikTok faces a potential ban in the U.S. due to national security concerns, according to Reuters.

• On January 18, TikTok temporarily halted operations in the U.S. to comply with a law requiring its Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban.
• After taking office on January 20, Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement of the law for 75 days to explore alternative solutions.

This marks Microsoft’s second attempt to acquire TikTok.

• In 2020, during Trump’s first term, Microsoft was a frontrunner to buy TikTok after the U.S. government demanded ByteDance separate its U.S. operations over security concerns.
• However, talks collapsed, and pressure on ByteDance disappeared after Trump left office.

Who Else is Interested?

While Microsoft is a known bidder, Trump hinted that other U.S. companies are also eyeing the deal.

• He even mentioned Elon Musk as a potential candidate, though Musk has not commented on the speculation.
• AI startup Perplexity AI has proposed a merger with TikTok, offering the U.S. government up to 50% ownership in the new entity—a move aimed at balancing national security concerns while keeping TikTok operational in the U.S.
• ByteDance and TikTok have not responded to the proposal.

Microsoft’s CEO: "The Weirdest Deal I’ve Ever Been Involved In"

Microsoft has yet to comment on the latest developments, but CEO Satya Nadella previously described the 2020 TikTok negotiations as "the weirdest deal I’ve ever been involved in."

According to Nadella, the U.S. government set specific conditions for the acquisition, only for the process to be abruptly halted without explanation.

With the 75-day deadline now counting down, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain—while Microsoft and other bidders scramble to secure a deal.

(Sources: Reuters, The Guardian)

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