Billboard Women in Music 2025
As the deadline nears for TikTok‘s Chinese parent to cut a deal to divest controlling ownership of the app or face a U.S. ban, new bidders are coming out of the woodwork.
Among the interested investors in TikTok is Tim Stokely, founder of OnlyFans — the opt-in social media platform known for hosting sexually explicit content. Stokely, who founded OnlyFans in 2016, left the company in 2021.
Stokely’s new social media startup Zoop, which says it “rewards both creators and their community members for their engagement,” teamed with the Hbar Foundation, which manages the Hedera cryptocurrency network, on a joint bid for TikTok, per Reuters.
In addition, Amazon submitted a last-minute offer to buy TikTok in an offer letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the New York Times reported. However, the newspaper reported, various parties “who have been involved in the talks do not appear to be taking Amazon’s bid seriously.
Oracle and private-equity firm Blackrock also have reportedly been in talks about a deal to take an ownership stake in TikTok. Others that have come forward with bids include former L.A. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, mobile-technology vendor AppLovin and AI company Perplexity.
The value of the Zoop-led bid, which was made in conjunction with other unidentified partners, was not disclosed. Zoop co-founder RJ Phillips told Reuters, “Our bid for TikTok isn’t just about changing ownership, it’s about creating a new paradigm where both creators and their communities benefit directly from the value they generate.”
President Trump was reported to be meeting with advisers Wednesday to consider next steps for TikTok. Trump set an April 5 deadline for ByteDance to either sell its controlling interest in TikTok or face a U.S. ban on national security grounds under a U.S. law that took effect Jan. 19. Supporters of the TikTok divest-or-ban law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, have said Trump’s 75-day enforcement delay did not have legal basis.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
