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

MrBeast, the popular YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, is reportedly among a group of investors attempting to acquire TikTok for over $20 billion. This group, which includes Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital), believes a $25 billion bid is necessary to secure the deal. While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has stated its U.S. business isn't for sale, and the Tinsley-led group hasn't received a direct response, MrBeast's representatives confirm he's in discussions with various parties and aims to join the eventual winning bidder.

MrBeast tweeted on January 22nd, expressing his excitement about the potential partnership and hinting at significant developments: “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 involvement in potential TikTok acquisition talks, suggesting a bidding war was likely. Microsoft hasn't confirmed this claim.

TikTok, with 170 million U.S. users, was briefly taken offline before a January 19th deadline requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell or face a ban. This shutdown followed the Supreme Court's rejection of TikTok's First Amendment challenge. The Supreme Court acknowledged common data collection practices but cited TikTok's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and the vast amount of sensitive data collected as justification for addressing national security concerns.

Service was restored after assurances from President Trump that penalties would be avoided. TikTok stated this was a victory for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship, pledging to work with the President on a long-term solution to maintain its U.S. presence.

Following his inauguration on January 20th, 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, even suggesting Elon Musk as a possible buyer.