Amazon said it would make a bid to buy TikTok for the U.S.
The people involved in the talks don’t seem to take Amazon’s offer seriously. The bid came via an offer letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, according to a person briefed on the matter.
Amazon’s bid highlights the 11th-hour maneuvering in Washington over TikTok’s ownership. Policymakers in both parties have expressed deep national security concerns over the app’s Chinese ownership, and passed a law last year to force a sale of TikTok that was set to take effect in January.
President Trump, who has pledged repeatedly to save the app despite the national security concerns, delayed the enforcement of that law until Saturday, even after it was unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court.
Amazon declined to comment. TikTok did not immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.
Mr. Trump was scheduled to meet with top White House official Wednesday to discuss TikTok. People familiar with the discussions have described a potential deal which could involve bringing in a number of U.S. investors including Oracle, the tech giant; and Blackstone the private equity firm while sidestepping a sale. It’s not clear if such a structure would meet the requirements of federal law. Influencers recommend products to viewers on the video app, which has 170 million users across the United States. Although the company has an e-commerce platform called TikTok, many influencers encourage users to purchase products on Amazon. This gives them a cut from the transaction. It has also provided some technical infrastructure.
Amazon had previously tried to make a TikTok clone of sorts, called Inspire, inside its own app. It was a high profile initiative internally, but it was not seen as successful in attracting customers. Microsoft and Walmart made a bid for the company in 2020, when TikTok was first pressured to sell to American owners. In 2020, when TikTok was first pressured to sell to American owners, Microsoft and Walmart made a bid for the company.
But Amazon would be the most high-profile bidder for the company, which has also attracted interest from the billionaire Frank McCourt as well as Jesse Tinsley, the founder of the payroll firm Employer.com.
The buzz around the company has also invited a spate of last-minute offers. Zoop, which includes the founder of OnlyFans adult entertainment website, announced on Wednesday that it had submitted a bid to buy TikTok’s U.S. operation. Zoop said it was partnering with a cryptocurrency foundation on its plan and that it had been communicating with the White House.
TikTok has maintained that it is not for sale, partly, it says, because the Chinese government would block a deal.
Theodore Schleifer contributed reporting.
