By Elsa Ohlen
The TikTok drama took another twist Tuesday amid reports that billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is being discussed as a potential buyer. The popular social-media platform is facing a ban unless it sells its U.S. operations.
Legislators have cited national security concerns as the basis for banning the app under its current ownership -- it is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. The Supreme Court is now set to make a decision by Jan. 19 on whether to uphold a bill passed by Congress.
Chinese officials have internally discussed options to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. by allowing a non-Chinese party to invest or take control of the social media app, including naming Elon Musk as one possibility, The Wall Street Journal reported early Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
"We cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction," a TikTok spokesperson told Barron's in an emailed comment when asked about the reports.
Write to Elsa Ohlen at elsa.ohlen@barrons.com
This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 14, 2025 05:38 ET (10:38 GMT)
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