Is Billionaire Elon Musk Buying TikTok? Here’s the Truth Behind the Rumours

TikTok has denied reports that billionaire Elon Musk might buy its U.S. operations, calling such claims “pure fiction.” 

The social media platform responded to these rumors after a Bloomberg article by pointing Euronews Business to a previous comment they made to the BBC. 

A TikTok spokesperson stated, “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction.”

This denial comes at a time when TikTok is facing a possible ban in the United States. The app, which has 170 million users in America, could be shut down on January 19 unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations. 

This situation arose because U.S. officials were worried about national security. They are concerned that the large amount of user data TikTok collects could be accessed by the Chinese government. 

They also fear that the Chinese authorities could use TikTok’s algorithm to subtly influence what users see on the app, potentially affecting public opinion or political matters.

The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision on TikTok’s future soon. This follows a request from President-elect Donald Trump to postpone the court’s decision until after he is inaugurated on January 20, hoping to find a solution. 

Trump made this request after meeting TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, in Florida. It’s still unclear if the court will wait until Trump takes office to make their decision.