The move to prohibit the social media platform follows the passage of a bipartisan bill by Congress last April, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden. This legislation requires that the app be sold to a new owner or face shutdown.
Federal authorities have raised concerns that TikTok poses a ‘national security threat’ to the US, due to its alleged connections with China.
Officials claim that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has access to the data of about 170 million US users, which could be compromised if China demands the company to provide it.
The deadline for a sale is January 19, just one day before Donald Trump is scheduled to take office as the new president.
Many TikTokers have been opposing the ban, claiming it would severely impact the creator economy, which heavily relies on the platform. Others have been turning to alternative apps like RedNote, a short-form video platform also based in China.
With only a few days left until the deadline, there is a glimmer of hope, as popular YouTuber MrBeast tweeted: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.”
At 26 years old, MrBeast, whose real name is James Stephen ‘Jimmy’ Donaldson, holds the record for the most subscribers on a YouTube channel, boasting over 340 million subscribers. He is also the third-most-followed creator on TikTok.
Known for hosting ‘Beast Games’ and orchestrating large-scale challenges with significant cash prizes, MrBeast is a familiar face in the online world.
Celebrity Net Worth estimates MrBeast’s net worth to be around $1 billion, suggesting he might have the means to purchase the app, despite many thinking his ‘offer’ was made in jest.
Following his viral tweet, MrBeast updated: “Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off.”
Now, MrBeast seems to be taking his proposal earnestly. He posted a TikTok update, stating that he has an offer ready.
In a short 12-second video, he announced: “Just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires, TikTok, we mean business.”
He didn’t disclose much more, including who the potential billionaires involved are, but his legal advisor was present in the video.
In the clip, MrBeast gestures to a man with a briefcase, saying: “This is my lawyer right here. We have an offer ready for you. We wanna buy the platform.”
Meanwhile, a presentation from the meeting could be seen in the background, with a slide titled: “How we buy TikTok.”
A potential hurdle MrBeast might face is if ByteDance refuses to sell TikTok or doesn’t agree to any sale terms.
The YouTuber urged: “America deserves TikTok. Give me a seat at the table.”
“Let me save this platform, TikTok.”
He also captioned the video: “TikTok check your inbox.”
His fans quickly reacted, expressing support for MrBeast on TikTok, with comments like “Save us all MrBeast,” and dubbing him ‘the GOAT’.