Staff Reports
Kevin O’Leary, the investor best known for his role on “Shark Tank,” has thrown down the gauntlet with an audacious $20 billion cash offer to purchase TikTok. This app, which has managed to rope in a staggering 170 million American users, hails from the notorious Chinese company ByteDance, which has more red flags than a Communist Party parade. With a potential ban looming over TikTok unless it is sold off soon, O’Leary’s bid could very well be a lifeline for the popular platform—or a clever scheme to wrest it from foreign influence.
In recent weeks, O’Leary has certainly positioned himself as the front-runner in the race to acquire TikTok. He boldly stated that the app won’t be banned as long as he’s in the running to buy it. His confidence is bolstered by the belief that any deal will not involve tech giants like Meta or Google, who could easily find themselves thwarted by regulators. O’Leary has proposed the creation of a bipartisan advisory committee to negotiate the terms of retaining any Chinese ties, should he land the deal. The negotiation game is about to get interesting.
The urgency surrounding TikTok’s fate can be traced directly back to Congress, where lawmakers, seemingly playing national security bingo, overwhelmingly passed legislation that demands ByteDance divest its American operations. By focusing on TikTok’s youth demographic—namely, teenagers who are more concerned with dance videos than geopolitics—Congress raised alarms about data privacy and foreign spying. To date, ByteDance has been given nine months to comply or get the boot from U.S. app stores, a deadline now exacerbated by a recent decision from the Supreme Court.
In a ruling that sent shockwaves through both Wall Street and social media circles, the Supreme Court upheld the ban while outlining national security concerns over TikTok’s data-collection practices. The Court may have acknowledged TikTok as a unique outlet for American creativity, but they also recognized that being cozy with a foreign adversary is a risk no one is willing to take. So, while lawmakers may applaud the influence of platforms like TikTok, buying American for the sake of American privacy appears to be the ultimate duty.
🚨 JUST IN: Kevin O’Leary says he’s offering $20 BILLION cash for TikTok ahead of its scheduled ban this Sunday.https://t.co/T5QtPUGZcM
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) January 18, 2025
As the clock ticks down to the impending ban, O’Leary has made it clear that he wants to seal the deal swiftly—or else face the possibility of billion-dollar fines for keeping the app alive. Meanwhile, rumors swirl that Elon Musk, fresh off his own acquisitions, might be eyeing a partnership or purchase of his own. However, navigating through the intricate web of Chinese governmental involvement is a task that even the most seasoned negotiators would find daunting. The Chinese government holds a peculiar—ahem—”golden share” in ByteDance, giving it an outsized influence over any sale.
Despite the serious implications for American consumers and the data regarding their TikTok habits, the situation has ballooned into a chess match involving some of the biggest names in tech. O’Leary and Musk have stepped onto the stage, but at this point, everyone is left wondering who will win this high-stakes game of “Who Gets TikTok?” For conservatives, however, the answer seems clear: it’s high time for American interests to take back control from foreign entities.
