"Billionaires Have Reached Out": YouTuber MrBeast Joins Bid To Buy TikTok

As TikTok plans to shut off its US operations on Sunday, YouTube star Jimmy "MrBeast" claimed he is considering purchasing the social media giant's app for American users. The YouTuber even revealed that several billionaires have "reached out" to him with offers to "pull off" the purchase, as the short video app faces an imminent ban in the United States unless it gets sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 19, 2025.

"Okay fine, I'll buy TikTok so it doesn't get banned," MrBeast posted on X on Tuesday after TikTok dismissed a report suggesting that China might sell the social media platform's US operations to Elon Musk.

It remained unclear whether the YouTuber was serious, as it was unlikely he could afford to buy it. But, in a later post, he said, "Unironically I've had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let's see if we can pull this off."

Okay fine, I'll buy Tik Tok so it doesn't get banned

— MrBeast (@MrBeast) January 14, 2025

TikTok's Murky Future In The US

Meanwhile, TikTok is reportedly planning to shut off its app for American users on Sunday, when a federal ban on the social media app could come into effect unless the Supreme Court moves to block it.

If TikTok shuts off for all US users, the outcome would be different from that mandated by the law. The law would mandate a ban only on new TikTok downloads on Apple or Google app stores while existing users could still continue using the app for some time, according to a report by Reuters.

However, under TikTok's plan, users attempting to open the app will reportedly see a pop-up message directing them to a website with information about the ban. The platform is also planning to give users the option to download all their data so that they can take a record of their personal information with them.

TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance have not issued any statement on the matter yet. 

TikTok Ban In US

In April 2024, US President Joe Biden signed a law requiring Bytedance to sell its US assets by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. The US government alleges TikTok allows China to collect data and spy on users and is a conduit to spread propaganda, a claim strongly denied by China and ByteDance. 

The companies have sought, at the very least, a delay in implementation of the law, which they say violates the US Constitution's First Amendment protection against government abridgement of free speech. TikTok said in a court filing last month that it estimates one-third of the 170 million Americans using its app would stop accessing the platform if the ban lasts a month.