Trump Says TikTok Has a Buyer, Expects China’s Approval for Deal Within Weeks

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that a buyer has been found for the U.S. operations of TikTok, and he expects the deal to receive approval from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to a report by REUTERS, Trump made the revelation during an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” broadcast on Sunday. While he did not disclose the names involved, he described the prospective buyers as a group of “very wealthy people,” adding that their identities would be revealed in about two weeks.

“We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way,” Trump said during the interview.

“I think I’ll need probably China’s approval. I think President Xi will probably do it.”

The former president indicated that the deal, which is currently being developed, would likely require approval from China due to ByteDance’s ownership of the popular short-video platform.

The announcement comes amid longstanding concerns in the U.S. over data privacy and national security risks associated with TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Earlier this month, Trump extended a September 17 deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets, a mandate established by a 2024 U.S. law, which requires TikTok to either complete the sale or face a shutdown by January 19, 2025, unless significant progress is shown.

A potential agreement had been in progress earlier this year to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new firm majority-owned by American investors. However, those negotiations stalled when China pushed back following Trump’s imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese imports.

Trump, who has credited TikTok with helping bolster his popularity among younger voters during the last election cycle, has already extended the sale deadline three times.

As of now, the details of the buyer and the structure of the proposed transaction remain under wraps, with clarity expected once formal steps are taken and regulatory approvals pursued.

REUTERS