TikTok Sold to US Investor Group Led by Oracle

ByteDance has finalized a deal to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a group of majority American investors, ensuring the platform remains active for its 170 million U.S. users. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew announced the agreement to staff, with the new entity operating as “TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.” The deal takes effect January 22nd, one day before President Trump’s executive order deadline expires.

New Management Structure

The joint venture partners Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will manage the restructured American operations. This is the same ownership group the Trump administration approved in September, though negotiations stalled as Chinese officials sought additional trade or diplomatic concessions. The current announcement marks significant progress, though official confirmation from ByteDance and TikTok remains pending.

Algorithm Control and Political Implications

The new U.S. entity will be responsible for “retraining” TikTok’s algorithm on American user data to eliminate outside manipulation. However, this raises concerns about potential Trump administration influence over content distribution. With Oracle’s Larry Ellison, a longtime Trump supporter, overseeing the algorithm, there’s speculation the platform could become more politically aligned—similar to X under Elon Musk’s ownership.

The decision carries weight given TikTok’s growing role as a news source among younger Americans. As creators celebrate the platform’s secured future, questions remain about how the new management will balance business operations with political considerations during future election cycles.