Amazon has reportedly made a last-minute bid to purchase TikTok as the April deadline nears.
Those familiar with the development told The New York Times that negotiators “do not appear to be taking Amazon’s bid seriously.” Amazon’s offer came through a letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the report said.
The Times noted that a potential deal “could involve bringing on a number of new U.S. investors, including Oracle, the technology giant, and Blackstone, the private equity firm, while sidestepping a formal sale.”
President Donald Trump Trump signed an executive order in January to protect Americans from foreign adversary-controlled apps.
“I have the unique constitutional responsibility for the national security of the United States, the conduct of foreign policy, and other vital executive functions,” the executive order read. “To fulfill those responsibilities, I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans. My Administration must also review sensitive intelligence related to those concerns and evaluate the sufficiency of mitigation measures TikTok has taken to date.”
Trump told reporters last week that he believes a deal on TikTok will be reached.
“We’re working on TikTok,” he said. “We have a lot of potential buyers. There’s tremendous interest in TikTok.”
“We’re dealing with China also on it because they may have something to do with it. And we’ll see how that goes,” Trump added. “But it’s something I think you’re going to have, I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”
