Chinese Officials Consider Sale of Tiktok to Elon Musk

Chinese officials are reportedly considering a potential option to sell TikTok's United States operations to billionaire Elon Musk if the company fails to avoid a potential ban, according to Bloomberg News. The report, citing unnamed sources, indicated that officials prefer TikTok to remain under the control of its parent company, ByteDance, which is currently appealing the ban to the US Supreme Court.

One proposed scenario involves Musk's social media platform, X, taking over TikTok's US operations and running the business jointly. However, these deliberations are said to be preliminary, with no firm consensus reached by Chinese authorities.

TikTok has declined to comment on the matter, and Musk has not provided any immediate response. Similarly, China's Cyberspace Administration, the Ministry of Commerce, and X were unavailable for comment.

The situation arises as the US Supreme Court appears inclined to uphold legislation that could mandate either the sale or ban of TikTok in the United States by January 19, citing national security concerns tied to China's influence over the app. The decision could have significant implications for TikTok's future in one of its largest markets.