Elon Musk reportedly no longer interested in purchasing TikTok

President Donald Trump worked quickly to give TikTok more time to figure out how it is going to abide by a law passed last year that demanded the company be sold to a U.S. firm or be banned altogether in this country.

Several potential buyers expressed interest in acquiring the platform, including billionaire Elon Musk, who happens to be one of the few individuals out there who could actually afford it.

However, according to Breitbart, Musk has now officially withdrawn his name from the pool of those potentially purchasing the platform, despite speculation that he was among the most likely candidates.

Reportedly, at a recent conference held in Germany, Musk clarified his stance on the social media platform owned by China.

"I have not put in a bid for TikTok," Musk said, joining the conference remotely via video. "I don’t have any plans for what would I do if I had TikTok."

Elon Musk says he hasn’t put in a bid for TikTok and has no plans to do so.

“I don't use TikTok personally. I'm not that familiar with it. I'm not chomping at the bit to acquire TikTok.”
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— Jacob C. Edmunds (@JacobCEdmunds) February 8, 2025

Breitbart reported:

Musk’s remarks come amidst reports that Chinese officials were considering the possibility of allowing the world’s richest person and close ally of President Donald Trump to acquire TikTok’s US operations if the company fails to prevent a ban.

One of the scenarios under discussion involved Musk running TikTok alongside X. However, the rumors were confirmed by X officials as "pure fiction."

The popular video sharing platform still faces an uphill battle for survival in the U.S., as not only would ByteDance, its parent company, have to sell to an American entity, it would also need approval from China for any such transaction to take place.

Breitbart noted:

The future of TikTok in the United States has been uncertain, with the app facing a years-long effort in Washington to ban it over security concerns. On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order temporarily halting a forced sale or shutdown of TikTok, giving the company and its Chinese parent more time to reach a deal.

Social media users reacted to Musk's announcement that he is no longer interested in purchasing TikTok.

Many of his fans wanted him to pick up the platform and run it alongside X, but that's no longer a possibility.

It remains to be seen what the future of TikTok holds, or who may end up buying it.