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Former President Donald Trump has stated that Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan, are expected to be part of an investor group seeking to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.
In a recent Fox News interview, Trump indicated that the Murdochs would “probably” be involved in a proposed deal aimed at maintaining TikTok’s functionality in the United States. He also suggested the involvement of Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and Dell founder Michael Dell.
“I think they’re going to do a really good job,” Trump commented, characterizing the individuals as “American patriots.”
The former president, who recently spoke with his Chinese counterpart, noted progress between the U.S. and China toward a deal that would facilitate the sale of the social media platform’s American operations to U.S. investors.
This potential sale is in response to legislation passed by Congress in April 2024, which mandates a ban on the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its U.S. arm.
The legislation stemmed from concerns that the Chinese government could potentially access the personal data of TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users. Enforcement of the law is currently suspended pending the outcome of a potential deal.
When questioned about the parties involved in the proposed TikTok deal, Trump told Fox’s The Sunday Briefing that “they’re very well-known people” poised to raise a “tremendous amount” of capital.
“Larry Ellison is one of them. He’s involved. This great guy, Michael Dell is involved. I hate to tell you this, but a man named Lachlan is involved. Do you know who Lachlan is?” he stated. “And Rupert is probably going to be in the group.”
Lachlan Murdoch recently assumed leadership of Fox Corp and News Corp, the family’s media conglomerate, concluding a protracted succession battle with his siblings. Rupert Murdoch, 94, holds the title of chairman emeritus at News Corp.
Following Trump’s remarks, U.S. media outlets have suggested that the Murdochs’ involvement would be through Fox Corp, rather than in a personal capacity.
Their media holdings include the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, and they are known for their conservative perspectives and right-leaning media outlets. However, they have occasionally faced criticism from Trump, who is currently pursuing a defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal regarding a report alleging he signed Jeffrey Epstein’s birthday book.
The White House has signaled optimism regarding the imminent completion of a deal, amidst political pressure to transfer ownership of the social media app’s U.S. operations from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
On Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that a deal could be finalized “in the coming days.”
Leavitt, also speaking on Fox, stated that data and privacy for the app in the U.S. would be overseen by Oracle, adding that “the algorithm will also be controlled by America as well.”
The proposed TikTok deal raises the prospect of the Murdochs and the Ellisons, two of the most influential families in U.S. media, gaining significant control over one of America’s most widely used social media platforms.
China has not officially confirmed the existence of an agreement.
Xinhua, China’s official state news agency, reported that during Trump’s conversation with Xi, the Chinese premier stated that Beijing “welcomes negotiations.”
On Saturday, China’s Commerce Ministry issued a statement saying: “China’s position on TikTok is clear: The Chinese government respects the wishes of the enterprise, and welcomes it to carry out commercial negotiations in accordance with market rules to reach a solution compliant with China’s laws and regulations, and strikes a balance of interests.”
ByteDance has not yet issued a statement regarding Trump’s recent comments.
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