Donald Trump, who recently returned to the US presidency in January, has disclosed a new development in the ongoing efforts to reshape TikTok’s presence in America. He announced that media titans Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan Murdoch, might join an investment group aiming to buy and control TikTok’s operations in the United States.
The US government has been trying hard to separate TikTok’s American business from its parent company, ByteDance, which is based in China. This push comes from serious national security concerns. President Trump had previously put a hold on a planned ban for the popular social media app. This pause allowed for discussions about a potential sale.
Trump confirmed that he has been negotiating with the Chinese government about selling TikTok’s US assets. He wants the company’s American arm to be bought by what he calls “patriot” investors. Other well-known figures he mentioned earlier include Larry Ellison, who leads Oracle, and Michael Dell, who founded the computer giant Dell.
During an interview on Fox News this past Sunday, Trump added the Murdochs to this growing list. “I don’t want to tell you, but a man named Lachlan is involved… I believe he is Lachlan Murdoch,” Trump stated. He then added that Rupert Murdoch would “probably be in the group too.” Trump spoke highly of them, calling them “great and very famous people.”
The Murdoch family’s potential interest follows a significant internal shift. Earlier this month, Rupert Murdoch’s children resolved a long-standing legal dispute over their vast media empire. This agreement officially confirmed Lachlan Murdoch as the leader. He now has full control over Fox News and News Corp. Rupert Murdoch built an influential conservative media empire spanning the US, UK, and Australia.
A White House statement issued Saturday confirmed details about the proposed deal. The new company that will control TikTok in the US will have an executive board made up mostly of American citizens. The agreement for this sale is expected to be signed “in the next few days.”
Source: AFP