Donald Trump claims Microsoft is negotiating to buy TikTok—but how real is the deal? Here’s what we know.
Microsoft is currently negotiating the potential acquisition of TikTok, President of the United States [Donald Trump → /who-is-donald-trump-biography-age-private-life-true-story] told reporters on Monday evening.
Neither Microsoft nor TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has provided any comment at this time.
Is Microsoft Buying TikTok?
TikTok, which boasts approximately 170 million users in the U.S. and over 21 million in Italy, was temporarily suspended in the United States on January 19, just ahead of the implementation of a law requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest the platform due to national security concerns—or face a ban.
Following his [inauguration on January 20 → /inauguration-trump-live-video-timetable], Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of this law by 75 days.
Even before Trump’s latest remarks, several scenarios had been floated regarding TikTok’s acquisition by a U.S. company.
Last week, the former president revealed that he was engaged in discussions with multiple parties regarding TikTok’s purchase and aimed to reach a decision on the platform’s future within 30 days.
In recent days, speculation has also arisen—once again fueled by Trump—that Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter) as well as Tesla and SpaceX, was exploring the acquisition of TikTok. Additionally, Musk has been linked to a role in the new administration within the [DOGE department → /what-is-doge-elon-musk-head-of-the-us-government-efficiency-ministry], tasked with optimizing public spending. However, Musk has not publicly commented on these reports.
On Sunday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI proposed a merger with TikTok as part of a deal that could grant the U.S. government ownership of up to 50% of the new entity in the future, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.
This Isn’t the First Time Microsoft and TikTok Have Discussed a Deal
This isn’t the first instance of [Microsoft considering a TikTok acquisition → Microsoft-buys-TikTok-USA-details-aftermath].
During his first term, Trump ordered TikTok to separate its U.S. operations from ByteDance over national security concerns.
In 2020, Microsoft emerged as a leading contender to acquire TikTok, but negotiations quickly collapsed, and political pressure on the platform faded as Trump left office.
At the time, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described the deal as "the weirdest thing I’ve ever worked on."
Original article published on Money.it Italy 2025-01-28 11:12:29. Original title: Microsoft compra TikTok. Cosa c’è di vero?
