Who could buy TikTok? Amazon, Blackstone, OnlyFans founder among the bidders

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With just three days until the deadline for TikTok to spin off from its Chinese-owned parent company or else face a ban in the U.S., new potential suitors have reportedly hopped in the running.

Amazon submitted a bid for the app on Wednesday, according to Reuters and the New York Times. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency foundation Hbar and Zoop, a startup co-led by the founder of OnlyFans, jointly submitted to the White House a plan to buy the app, company representatives confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday.

Saturday, April 5 is the new deadline for the app to be sold off or face a ban, after President Donald Trump extended the January deadline set by a 2024 law that passed with bipartisan congressional support. Lawmakers have sought to find a non-Chinese buyer for the app over national security concerns.

Trump on Sunday seemed confident a deal would come to fruition by the deadline.

“We have a lot of potential buyers,” Trump said on Air Force One Sunday, according to Reuters. “There’s tremendous interest in TikTok.…I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”

Here are the other potential suitors as the clock ticks on TikTok:

Blackstone considering joining non-Chinese ByteDance shareholders

Private equity firm Blackstone is considering a stake in TikTok, Reuters and the New York Times reported Friday. Blackstone would join an existing group of non-Chinese shareholders led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic.

Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz in talks to invest: Report

Also reportedly in the running to invest in TikTok is Andreessen Horowitz, a California-based venture capital firm whose co-founder, Marc Andreessen, has been a staunch Trump backer, the Financial Times reported.

The firm’s investment would include Oracle, a massive U.S. tech company founded in part by Larry Ellison, one of the richest people in the world.

Tim Stokely’s new startup Zoop, alongside the Hbar Foundation

Zoop is co-founded by Tim Stokely, who also founded OnlyFans, a social media site known for its adult content. But Zoop is a more mainstream creator’s site aimed at rewarding community members for engagement, according to a press release about the bid.

“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,” Zoop co-founder RJ Phillips said in a statement.

The Hbar Foundation uses blockchain for revenue transactions on the Hedera network.

Zoop’s press release said the bid is backed by a group of U.S. investors, but did not specify who else might be involved.

The Hbar Foundation also confirmed the bid with USA TODAY.

When asked about a potential Zoop and Hbar acquisition Wednesday, the White House said Trump would announce any TikTok updates when he chooses.

Amazon also interested at 11th hour: Reports

Amazon has also submitted a late bid for the app, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

The retail giant sent the offer in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to Reuters. The New York Times reported that people involved are apparently not taking Amazon’s offer seriously.

Amazon declined to comment.

Who has expressed interest in purchasing TikTok?

Earlier in March, Trump told journalists that his administration was working with “four different groups” interested in purchasing TikTok but didn’t elaborate further. Here’s who has expressed public interest in the app in recent months:

Project Liberty – Project Liberty, an organization led by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt with the intention of “constructing a new internet infrastructure,” submitted a bid to ByteDance earlier this year. In addition to McCourt, “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian have committed to the bid.
MrBeast – A consortium of investors led by Employer.com founder and CEO Jesse Tinsley also submitted a bid to ByteDance earlier this year. James “Jimmy” Donaldson, the internet superstar more commonly known as MrBeast, is a part of the consortium, according to a news release from law firm Paul Hastings.
Perplexity AI – U.S.-based search engine Perplexity AI proposed a merger in January, according to Reuters. Rather than a sale, the merger would result in a new entity − a culmination of Perplexity AI and TikTok.
Bobby Kotick, Doug McMillon, Microsoft and Rumble – Others who have expressed interest in purchasing the platform but have not made bids include Bobby Kotick, former CEO of video game company Activision; Doug McMillon, Walmart CEO; Microsoft, which proposed purchasing the platform with Walmart in 2020; and conservative video streaming platform Rumble.

Contributing: Reuters

Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.

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