Musk says he has no plans to buy TikTok

Tech billionaire Elon Musk said he is not interested in acquiring the video-sharing app TikTok, and has no plans regarding what he would do if he owned it.

Musk made the remarks during a virtual session at the WELT Economic Summit held on Jan. 28, as seen in a video released by The WELT Group on Saturday.

"I haven't made a bid for TikTok, nor do I have any plans regarding what I would do if I owned it," Musk said.

U.S. lawmakers had initially planned to block TikTok due to national security concerns, but a ban on the platform was delayed.

Shortly after taking office President Trump granted TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, 75 more days before a ban could take effect. This gave the platform time to find a US-based buyer to replace its Chinese ownership, as per legislation signed by former President Biden.

Despite ByteDance stating that they are not planning to sell, some investors have shown interest in buying the company.

Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion and changed the social media platform's name to X, was thought to be a possible buyer. But, he mentioned in his January remarks that he usually does not buy companies, saying that his purchase of Twitter was about protecting "freedom of speech."

TikTok in January also shut down the speculation, calling the reports of Musk potentially buying the app “pure fiction."

Meanwhile, Trump has stated he is in discussions with various parties about acquiring TikTok, with a decision anticipated soon.

The app boasts around 170 million users in the U.S.

On Monday, the president issued an executive order to establish a sovereign wealth fund that may be used to purchase TikTok.

MrBeast, a popular YouTuber named Jimmy Donaldson, publicly expressed his desire to purchase the app in January. "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary and former LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt are among several billionaires who have also shown interest.

Topics

Elon Musk Does Not Want to Buy TikTok

The mogul says acquiring already-established companies like TikTok is not really his style.
Inc. - 49m
NGOs, nonprofits say US humanitarian aid has ground to complete halt worldwide

International aid and development work funded by the U.S. government has almost entirely come to a halt, leaders in humanitarian aid confirmed to ABC News.
ABC News - 59m
Lakers' trade for Hornets center Mark Williams has been rescinded, team says

The Los Angeles Lakers’ trade to acquire center Mark Williams from Charlotte has been rescinded, the team announced Saturday night
ABC News - 1h
Trump has two strong options to defuse the U.S. debt time-bomb. He should use them.

AI-fueled productivity growth, combined with realistic and constructive immigration reform, would put the U.S. economy on more solid footing.
MarketWatch - 6h
Trump says he won't deport Prince Harry: 'He’s got enough problems with his wife’

President Trump said on Friday that he is "not interested" in deporting Harry, who currently resides in Montecito, Calif., with his wife, Meghan Markle. “I don’t want to do that,” Trump told the ...
The Hill - 7h
Parents suing TikTok over children's deaths say it 'has no compassion'

Four families who say their children died after taking part in a viral trend in 2022 speak to the BBC about their legal fight against TikTok.
BBC News - 9h
He is in a wheelchair and she is not. Their 30-year love has surpassed all the odds

For Elizabeth Wampler, it was not love or even like at first sight when she met her future husband. Now, 30 years later, she says her unfounded assumptions about his cerebral palsy were "wrong on ...
CBS News - 13h
Trump says he wants to negotiate about Ukraine. It's not clear if Putin really does

Nearly three years after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, his troops are making steady progress on the battlefield
ABC News - 21h
Trump Says He Will Announce Reciprocal Tariffs Next Week

The president said he planned to impose tariffs on countries that tax U.S. products. He also paused an action against China, allowing its low-cost products to again enter the U.S. tariff free.
The New York Times - 1d
All USAID humanitarian work has effectively stopped, officials say

Current and former USAID officials blasted the Trump administration's gutting of the agency, saying it has left critical partners in the lurch and staff in limbo.
ABC News - 1d
Trump says Nippon Steel has dropped plan to buy US Steel

US president warns he could hit Japan with tariffs after vowing to place levies on imports from Canada and Mexico
Financial Times - 1d
Trump says Musk will review "just about" every federal agency

In a press conference with the Japanese prime minister, President Trump indicated Elon Musk has wide latitude to review nearly every federal agency.
CBS News - 1d
Elon Musk's DOGE staffers don't have access to U.S. nuclear secrets, Energy secretary says

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said three DOGE staffers are working at the department.
CNBC - 1d
Musk, as he fights DEI, is being paid to send 1st woman, person of color to the moon

As Elon Musk helps the Trump administration eliminate DEI, his SpaceX currently has a NASA contract to help land the first woman and first person of color on the moon.
ABC News - 1d
Ecuador’s Leader Has Had a Year of Chaos. He Is Still Favored to Win Sunday’s Election.

President Daniel Noboa is favored to win Sunday’s presidential election as many voters embrace his heavy-handed tactics to fight violence and corruption.
The New York Times - 1d
Why Does Elon Musk Think He Can Treat the U.S. Government Like Twitter?

My latest five-whys looks at Musk’s motivations.
Inc. - 2d
Conductor Daniel Barenboim says he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease

Conductor Daniel Barenboim says he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
ABC News - 2d
TikTok Stole Our Hearts, but Can It Last?

The hosts of Uncanny Valley chronicle the TikTok ban saga and ask: What makes the app so uniquely vulnerable?
Wired - 2d
Senate’s top appropriator says Elon Musk has gone too far

Politico - 3d
Iowa's Jones, recently retired, says she has cancer

Former Iowa player Ava Jones announced on social media Saturday that she has cancer.
ESPN - 2h
Alex Rodriguez says he tried to steer Patrick Mahomes toward baseball: 'Man, am I glad he didn't listen to me'

Football has worked out just fine for the star Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
CBS Sports - 7h
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says league has reduced concussion injuries

At NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's annual news conference, he addressed the league's diversity hiring practices, the expansion of the regular season and the possibility of placing a team outside ...
CBS News - 8h
Trump Says He Will Install Himself as Kennedy Center Chairman

The move by the president, whose authority to make the changes was not clear, is the latest attempt to bring a Washington institution under his control.
The New York Times - 12h
Elon Musk put a chip in this paralysed man’s brain. Now he can move things with his mind. Should we be amazed - or terrified?

An accident left Noland Arbaugh paralysed, but Musk’s Neuralink brain implant allows him to control computers with his thoughts. Is it a life-changing innovation that could help millions – or the ...
The Guardian - 21h
Trump says he is revoking Biden's security clearance

"There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information," President Donald Trump says.
BBC News - 1d
Trump Says He’s Revoking Biden’s Security Clearance

The president suggested that he was acting in retaliation for his predecessor’s pulling of his security clearance shortly after the Jan. 6 riot.
The New York Times - 1d
Trump says he is cutting off Biden's access to intelligence material

Former presidents are traditionally allowed to receive intelligence briefings if they are being consulted about events that occurred while they were in office.
NBC News - 1d
Elon Musk's DOGE entered NOAA headquarters, sources say

Employees from the White House's Department of Government Efficiency have entered the Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. CBS News environmental correspondent ...
CBS News - 1d
Mavs' Anthony Davis says he's going to 'give the city life back' after stunning Luka Doncic trade to Lakers

Davis was introduced as a member of the Mavericks on Friday
CBS Sports - 1d
Trump says Elon Musk and DOGE will review "just about" every federal agency

President Trump said nearly every federal agency in the U.S. government could fall under the scrutiny of Elon Musk and the White House's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. CBS News ...
CBS News - 1d
Deion Sanders says 'there's a lot of teams' he wouldn't want Shedeur to play for, details how he'll handle it

The NFL Hall of Famer has plenty of opinions and isn't afraid to ask questions
CBS Sports - 1d
AEW CEO Tony Khan says he wants to keep company private to pass it down to his kids

AEW founder and co-owner Tony Khan says he wants to keep the league privately held so he can one day pass it down to his kids.
CNBC - 1d
Directors’ Deals: US deal sparks Fever-Tree buying

Share price rises 20 per cent as the tie-up is announced
Financial Times - 1d
A victim in Sweden's deadliest mass shooting called his fiancee to say he loved her

Salim Karim Iskef managed to video-call his fiancee to tell her he loved her one last time
ABC News - 1d
Jimmy Butler says he's 'happy to be playing basketball again' in Warriors intro after trade from Heat

Jimmy Butler has a new team and a new outlook.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
More TikTok views than Taylor Swift: Report says women’s sport ecosystem is ‘thriving’

United States rugby union star Ilona Maher generated more TikTok views than Taylor Swift in 2024, while Chelsea Women amassed more views on the social media platform than more than half of the ...
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Trump’s Gaza Plan Has Many Pitfalls, Hamas Among the Biggest

President Trump’s proposal to “own” Gaza and transfer its population elsewhere has stirred condemnation and sarcasm, but it is an opening bid and could disrupt a tired diplomatic paradigm.
The New York Times - 2d
The Far Right Has a New Hero: Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s takeover of the federal government has inspired adoration from far-right communities online that used to be reserved for Donald Trump.
Wired - 3d

More in Politics

Russell Vought, CFPB's new acting head, issues directives to halt portions of bureau activity

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought issued a series of directives to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employees Saturday night in his new capacity a the bureau's acting ...
NBC News - 21m
VA lists more than 130 jobs ineligible for Trump buyout plan

The majority of nurses, doctors, and other personnel providing care to military veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs do not qualify for the deferred resignation offer from the Trump ...
The Hill - 1h
Schiff calls for firefighter exemption from federal hiring freeze

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Friday urged the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to exempt federal seasonal firefighters from President Trump’s federal ...
The Hill - 2h
Most say misusing campaign funds, dodging subpoenas worst behavior for a president: Poll

Americans consider using campaign money for personal legal issues and ignoring subpoenas the worst actions a president could take, a new survey found. The YouGov survey included 26 potential ...
The Hill - 3h
House Democrats denied entry into Department of Education building

Several Democratic lawmakers were denied access to the Department of Education on Friday. The Trump administration has made it clear that it seeks to abolish the department.
NBC News - 3h