Murdox, part of Ellison in the potential tiktok trade
President Donald Trump mentioned Murdox and Larry Ellison in an interview with Fox News, teased potential names in the proposed Tiktok deal.
WASHINGTON – Tiktok has a preliminary agreement to sell US operations to a group of US-based investors.
The agreement that President Donald Trump’s administration has been working on for months will drive Beijing-based Tiktok’s US operations into a new joint venture consisting of the majority of American ownership. Oracle, a US-based technology company, will serve as Tiktok’s security provider for its American operations.
A senior White House official did not disclose the investors’ names during a September 22 call with reporters regarding the transaction, but confirmed that the consortium includes private equity firm Silver Lake.
In an interview with Fox News on September 21, Trump said Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and billionaire tech investor Michael Dell were involved in the deal, with businessman and media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch also “probably in the group.”
Trump will back the deal later this week, allowing the company and investors to close the deal to delay Tiktok’s US ban from going into effect for another 120 days.
Under the arrangement, Tiktok’s algorithm will move under the control of a new US joint venture. Oracle is responsible for inspecting and monitoring the algorithm to ensure that it is not being used for “malicious purposes,” officials said.
White House press director Karoline Leavitt said data from American Tiktok is securely stored on servers run by Oracle in the US without access from China. Leavitt said that U.S. Tiktok users can watch videos posted by users posted in other countries.
The ordinance based on Tiktok’s parent company, Beijing, is set to sign an agreement that approves the framework of the transaction. However, there are still a variety of procedural hurdles, including reviews of antitrust laws that govern fair market competition.
US Tiktok users do not need to download new apps once the transaction is complete.
Tiktok sales were projected to include “billions of dollars” dollars
The White House has not disclosed final figures for the deal, but the sale is expected to be valued at “billions of dollars.”
The full breakdown of Tiktok’s US ownership consortium is unknown, but White House officials said it complies with federal laws that prevent it from owning less than 20% of its US business.
The full composition of the ownership group is expected to be finalized by the closure of transactions that could take place in the beginning of 2026. The Trump administration has no plans for the federal government to take stake in the joint venture, officials said.
Americans oversee US operations for six of the seven seats on Tiktok’s board of directors, but the ordinance will occupy one of the seats, Reuters reported.
US authorities in multiple administrations have expressed concern that Tiktok poses a national security threat. Tiktok repeatedly denied these claims.
Former President Joe Biden signed a law banning Tiktok in the United States in 2024, unless the Beijing-based parent company ordinance sells its US holdings. However, Trump extended the deadline for sales or vans three times in his second presidential term.
Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to be congratulating the deal during his call with Trump on September 19th.
The Chinese government “respects Tiktok’s wishes” and is “pleased to see business negotiations in line with market rules and solutions compliant with Chinese laws and regulations,” Chinese officials said after the meeting.
The Trump administration is “100% confident” and the deal will receive final approval from Chinese leaders, White House officials said.
Trump, who supported the ban on Tiktok in his first term, has become a fan of Tiktok, who praised the app for supporting the outreach to younger voters in his 2024 campaign.
Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.
