Selling TikTok might be the only way the popular app can stay in the United States.
Just to recap, TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is at risk of being banned in the US due to concerns about national security. The US government thinks the Chinese government might use the app for spying or influencing politics. TikTok has around 170 million active users in the US and more than 2 billion users globally.
After a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the US government said it would ban TikTok unless it is sold to US buyers. The ban is set for January 19, unless the Supreme Court makes a different decision.
Several billionaires have shown interest in buying TikTok’s US operations, including Elon Musk, Frank McCourt through Project Liberty, Bobby Kotick, and recently, YouTuber MrBeast.
MrBeast, or Jimmy Donaldson, was the highest-paid YouTuber in 2022. He is currently worth $500 million. On January 13, he tweeted on X: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.” The next day, he tweeted again: “Unironically, I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this. Let’s see if we can pull this off.”
On Wednesday, January 15, Donaldson shared on TikTok: “Just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires. TikTok, we mean business.” He then turned his camera to show a man in a suit holding a briefcase with a file. “This is my lawyer right here, we have an offer ready for you. We wanna buy the platform, America deserves TikTok! Give me a seat at the table, let me save this platform, TikTok!”
The same post was shared on Instagram with the caption: “We have an offer ready.”
The Center for Financial Research and Analysis says TikTok’s US operations alone are worth between $40 billion and $50 billion.
However, ByteDance has repeatedly said that it does not intend to sell its US operations.
Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTokCurrent CEO of TikTok
Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, is a key figure in discussions about the popular tech platform. He was born and grew up in Singapore and has experience in both finance and tech leadership, providing him with the right skills as TikTok faces big challenges globally.
Chew studied economics at University College London and later earned his MBA at Harvard Business School, where he also interned at Facebook during his first year. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in investment banking before joining DST Global, where he worked on significant investments, including one in ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
Chew went on to become the chief financial officer at Xiaomi, a Chinese electronics company famous for its affordable smartphones. While at Xiaomi, the company grew internationally and went public in 2018. His experience in managing rapidly growing companies made him a good fit for the leadership role at TikTok.
As of 2025, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Chew’s net worth at $200 million. This amount reflects his career, from his time at Xiaomi to his current position at TikTok. Chew keeps his personal life private, but it’s known that he is married with children and keeps his family life out of the public eye, focusing on his work and business strategies.
MrBeast on TikTok
MrBeast remains a dominant force on TikTok, with his content attracting millions of views and a large following. His influence goes beyond entertainment, as he also uses the platform to support causes and promote philanthropy.