MrBeast Not Yet Officially in the TikTok Bidder Race, Representative Confirms

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has not officially joined any bids to acquire TikTok, according to his representative. The YouTube star, who stirred attention with a January 13 post on X (formerly Twitter), expressed interest in purchasing TikTok to prevent its potential ban. He added the following day that numerous billionaires had reached out to him since his tweet, hinting at possible collaboration to bring the deal to fruition.

Recent reports fueled speculation about MrBeast’s involvement, linking him to an investor group pursuing TikTok’s U.S. operations in an all-cash offer led by Jesse Tinsley, CEO of Recruiter.com Ventures. A Monday post from Tinsley and a Tuesday announcement from Paul Hastings LLP, a law firm advising the group, indicated MrBeast’s participation.

However, in a statement on Wednesday, MrBeast’s spokesperson, Matthew Hiltzik, clarified that Donaldson had not officially joined any bidding efforts. "Several buyers are holding ongoing discussions with Jimmy," Hiltzik stated, "but he has no exclusive agreements with any of them."

As for the group’s offer, details remain unclear, including the amount of their bid. Tinsley’s representative declined to provide further comment on the situation.

TikTok's future in the U.S. remains uncertain. A federal law upheld by the Supreme Court last week required the platform to find an approved buyer for its U.S. operations by January 19, or face a nationwide ban. TikTok briefly suspended access for U.S. users ahead of the deadline, but restored service the next day, crediting incoming President Donald Trump for stalling the ban.

Trump, who has expressed admiration for TikTok, previously attempted to ban the platform, citing national security concerns due to its ties to China. After taking office, Trump directed the Justice Department to pause the enforcement of the ban until April and announced plans for the U.S. government to broker a deal granting 50% control of TikTok. He mentioned that “every rich person” had approached him about acquiring the platform.

On Tuesday, Trump revealed his openness to a potential purchase by Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and tech magnate Elon Musk, who recently contributed $200 million to a political action committee supporting Trump. However, neither Ellison nor Musk has shown any intent to buy TikTok.

Other investors, including billionaire Frank McCourt and former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, have expressed interest in acquiring the platform. Perplexity AI, an AI startup, has also proposed creating a new entity merging its operations with TikTok’s U.S. business, according to a source familiar with the matter.

A consortium led by McCourt has made a $20 billion cash offer for TikTok, confirmed by “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary. Despite his continued interest, O’Leary voiced concerns that the legal framework preventing ByteDance from divesting by Sunday would block such deals.

Since the bipartisan TikTok law was enacted in April, ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has resisted efforts to sell the platform, challenging the law in court for months. While China initially opposed the divestment, recent signals suggest a softening of their stance.

Bill Ford, chairman of the global investment firm General Atlantic and a member of ByteDance’s board, stated this week that the company is open to discussions with both the Trump administration and Chinese officials to find a solution that ensures TikTok remains available in the U.S. Representatives for ByteDance and TikTok did not respond to inquiries seeking comment.