MrBeast and the CEO of Roblox Are Trying to Buy TikTok for Over $20 Billion

YouTube sensation MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) is reportedly part of a consortium aiming to acquire TikTok in a bid exceeding $20 billion. Bloomberg reports Donaldson has teamed up with Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital) in this ambitious endeavor. The group estimates a $25 billion purchase price for the social media giant.

While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has publicly stated its U.S. operations are not for sale, Tinsley's group acknowledges it hasn't yet received a direct response. Donaldson's representatives confirm his involvement in discussions with various parties, expressing a desire to collaborate with the eventual frontrunner. He tweeted on January 22nd, "The leading groups who are all credible bidding on Tik Tok have reached out for us to help them, I’m excited to partner/make this a reality. Big things cooking."

Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Microsoft's purported negotiations to acquire TikTok, expressing hopes for a bidding war. Microsoft has yet to verify this claim.

TikTok experienced a temporary outage for its 170 million U.S. users shortly before a January 19th deadline requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell or face a ban on national security grounds. The app went offline after the Supreme Court denied an appeal following TikTok's First Amendment challenge. The Supreme Court acknowledged the prevalence of data collection in the digital age but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the vast amount of sensitive data collected as justification for the government's national security concerns.

Service was restored following assurances from President Trump that TikTok would not face penalties. TikTok stated at the time, “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

Following his departure from office, President Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He engaged in discussions with various companies and individuals regarding a potential TikTok buyout, including expressing openness to Elon Musk's potential involvement.