Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, confirms he has not submitted a bid for TikTok and has no plans to acquire the video-sharing platform. 

The announcement came during his virtual appearance at the WELT Economic Summit on January 28. The clarification arrives as TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States, where it currently serves approximately 170 million monthly users. 

The platform received a 75-day extension on January 20, delaying the ban while it seeks a non-Chinese buyer to comply with legislation signed by former President Joe Biden last April.

Potential Buyers Express Interest

While ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, maintains it does not plan to sell, several high-profile figures have expressed interest in acquiring the platform. 

YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has publicly stated his intention to purchase the app. “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt have also indicated interest. Trump revealed Microsoft and Perplexity AI as potential bidders.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives estimates TikTok’s U.S. assets, excluding its algorithm, to be worth between $40 billion and $50 billion.

Musk, who acquired Twitter (now X) for $44 billion in 2022, describes his company acquisitions as “highly unusual.” He emphasized that his Twitter purchase was motivated by preserving freedom of speech in America rather than economic considerations. 

Regarding TikTok, Musk stated he doesn’t see a clear purpose for acquisition beyond economics. The Tesla CEO added that evaluating TikTok’s algorithm for potential harm or utility would be a crucial first step for any potential buyer.