Trump Signs Order To Transfer TikTok’s U.S. Operations to American Investors

Trump signed an executive order to transfer TikTok’s U.S. operations to Oracle and other investors, raising concerns over valuation, foreign ties, and fairness.

After more than a year of negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to move TikTok’s U.S. operations into the hands of American investors, with Oracle and other major figures playing key roles.

“I had a very good talk with president Xi. We talked about TikTok. He gave us the go-ahead,” Trump said at a press conference, although Beijing has not confirmed this approval, as reported by WIRED.

Vice President JD Vance said the deal values TikTok’s U.S. business at around $14 billion, far below earlier estimates of up to $100 billion. “What this deal ensures is that the American entity and the American investors will actually control the algorithm,” Vance said, stressing data protection, as reported by WIRED.

Under the agreement, ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, will hold less than a 20% stake, with U.S. firms holding the majority. Oracle, Michael Dell, Rupert Murdoch, and others are among those expected to take part, as reported by Bloomberg.

Foreign investment, however, remains controversial. MGX, a UAE-backed fund with ties to Trump’s family crypto venture, will reportedly own 15% of the new TikTok entity, as reported by The Washington Post.

Critics, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, argue the deal enriches Trump’s allies. “Trump wants to hand over even more control of what you watch to his billionaire buddies, and a foreign government is helping him do it,” she said, as reported by The Post. Sen. Ron Wyden added the app would fall “in the hands of Trump cronies.”

Despite promises of fairness, Trump himself joked, “If I could, I’d make the algorithm 100% MAGA related. But it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately. Everyone’s going to be treated fairly,” reports WIRED.

For now, TikTok remains online in the U.S., but major questions remain over valuation, foreign involvement, and how the algorithm will be controlled.