good crabexellent crab

US Billionaire Plans to Form a Consortium to Acquire TikTok

Associated Press
May 16, 2024 | 1:32 pm
SHARE
FILE - The TikTok Inc. building is seen in Culver City, Calif., March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
FILE - The TikTok Inc. building is seen in Culver City, Calif., March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

New York. Billionaire businessman and real estate mogul Frank McCourt said Wednesday that he’s putting together a consortium to purchase TikTok’s US business, adding to the number of investors hoping to benefit from a new federal law that requires TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the popular platform or face a ban.

McCourt is organizing the bid in consultation with the investment bank Guggenheim Securities and “with the goal of placing people and data empowerment at the center of the platform’s design and purpose,” according to an announcement on the website of his Project Liberty initiative.

If a sale occurs, the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers said he would plan to restructure TikTok and give more agency to people “over their digital identities and data” by migrating the platform to an open-source protocol that allows for more transparency.

McCourt said he doesn’t use TikTok personally, but his businesses and internet-focused initiative do. The bid is an extension of his long-running interest in remaking the internet with better data privacy protections, an effort he’s focused on through Project Liberty. He founded the project “to build a new digital civic architecture for a safer, healthier internet,” according to the organization’s website.

ADVERTISEMENT
US Billionaire Plans to Form a Consortium to Acquire TikTok
In this Oct. 23, 2016 file photo, US businessman Frank McCourt looks on during the French League One soccer match between PSG and Marseille at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Other investors, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, have expressed a desire to purchase TikTok. However, parent company ByteDance has already said it does not plan to sell the platform. Some experts have also noted the Chinese government is also unlikely to approve a sale – especially not one that includes the recommendation engine that powers the videos that populates users’ feeds.

McCourt said he’s not interested in TikTok’s current algorithm because “top-down” recommendation engines conflict with his view of how such platforms should be managed. He also thinks ByteDance will sell TikTok’s US business at some point.

For now, though, the company has been fighting back against the law passed last month, which would disrupt one of its most lucrative markets.

Last week, ByteDance and TikTok filed a lawsuit against the US government to block the law from going into effect. On Tuesday, eight TikTok creators filed their own challenge, arguing the law violates their First Amendment rights to free speech.

The company also has been waging a legal battle in Montana to block a state law that would ban the video-sharing platform.

McCourt is worth $1.4 billion, according to Forbes. He sold the Dodgers for $2 billion in 2012 to Guggenheim Baseball Management. In 2016, he bought the French soccer club Marseille.

Tags: Keywords:
SHARE

Related Articles


Opinion Apr 25, 2026 | 10:29 am

Safety and Opportunity: Getting the Balance Right Online

With 89% of Indonesian children online daily, balancing digital opportunity and safety is crucial as new rules risk limiting access.
Tech Mar 28, 2026 | 2:39 pm

Few Platforms Meet Indonesia’s New Child Safety Law as Enforcement Begins

Indonesia says only X and Bigo Live fully comply with new child protection rules as enforcement begins, with major platforms still lagging.
News Feb 26, 2026 | 5:18 pm

KPK Urges Finance Minister Purbaya to Report TikTok Gifts

KPK advised Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa to report or consult over virtual gifts sent during a TikTok livestream.
Tech Jan 23, 2026 | 8:07 pm

TikTok Seals Deal to Create US Entity, Averting Ban

TikTok finalized a deal to form a new U.S. entity, easing security concerns and avoiding a ban that threatened to shut down the app.

The Latest


News 44 minutes ago

Curacao Earns First-Ever World Cup Point after Goalless Draw with Ecuador

Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack, allowing The Blue Wave to earn a 0-0 draw.
News 3 hours ago

Germany Beats Ivory Coast 2-1 to Advance to World Cup Knockout Phase

Four-time champion Germany has come back from disappointing group stage exits in 2018 and 2022.
News 3 hours ago

Netherlands Routs Sweden 5-1 to Lead Group F

Sweden coach Graham Potter said the defeat was less about what his team did and more about just how good Netherlands played Saturday.
News 17 hours ago

Dear Mr. President, Don’t Skip ASEAN Summits

Despite calls for Prabowo to stay home, the Indonesian leader still needs to attend ASEAN summits.
Business 18 hours ago

PLN Rushes Coal Supplies After Power Outages Hit Java

PLN is rushing to secure coal supplies after shortages triggered rolling blackouts across Java, disrupting businesses and daily life.
COPYRIGHT © 2026 JAKARTA GLOBE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED