MrBeast and the CEO of Roblox Are Trying to Buy TikTok for Over $20 Billion

YouTuber MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) is reportedly part of a consortium attempting a $20 billion+ bid to acquire TikTok. Bloomberg reports that Donaldson is collaborating with Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital) in this endeavor. The group estimates a $25 billion acquisition cost.

ByteDance, TikTok's owner, has publicly stated that its U.S. operations are not for sale. Tinsley's group acknowledges they haven't yet received a direct response to their bid.

Donaldson's representatives indicate he's engaged in discussions with multiple parties and aims to align with the eventual frontrunner, suggesting potential shifts in allegiance depending on the unfolding situation. On January 22nd, Donaldson tweeted, "The leading groups who are all credible bidding on Tik Tok have reached out for us to help them, I’m excited to partner/make this a reality. Big things cooking."

Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Microsoft's involvement in discussions to purchase TikTok, expressing hope for a bidding war. Microsoft hasn't confirmed Trump's assertion.

TikTok experienced a temporary outage for its 170 million U.S. users shortly before a January 19th deadline requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell or face a ban due to national security concerns. The app's brief shutdown followed the Supreme Court's rejection of TikTok's First Amendment challenge. The Supreme Court acknowledged common data practices in the digital age but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the volume of sensitive data collected as justification for differential treatment to address national security concerns.

Service was restored after assurances from former President Trump that TikTok wouldn't face penalties. TikTok stated at the time, “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

Following his inauguration on January 20th, former President Trump signed an executive order temporarily delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He engaged in discussions with various companies and individuals regarding a potential TikTok buyout, mentioning his openness to Elon Musk's potential acquisition.