Billionaire Elon Musk stated that he has no interest in acquiring TikTok, the popular short-video app that has faced scrutiny in the U.S. due to national security concerns over its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. His remarks were made in late January during a summit hosted by The WELT Group, part of Axel Springer SE, and were released online on Saturday.
Musk’s comments came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he would be open to Musk purchasing TikTok. However, Musk emphasized that he has not made any bids for the platform and has no plans for managing TikTok if he were to acquire it. “I don’t use TikTok personally and I’m not familiar with its format,” Musk said, adding that acquiring companies is not his usual approach, as he typically prefers building businesses from the ground up.
This week, TikTok has attempted to bypass restrictions by enabling U.S. Android users to download the app via package kits from its website, as Apple and Google have yet to reinstate TikTok to their app stores following the implementation of a new U.S. law.
The U.S. government has raised concerns that TikTok could potentially share data with the Chinese government, prompting lawmakers to demand the app’s sale or face a ban. While TikTok has denied these allegations, its future remains uncertain.
President Trump, who has signed an executive order to potentially buy TikTok through a sovereign wealth fund, has shown a new interest in the app after previously attempting to block it. Despite past attempts to ban TikTok over security concerns, Trump has more recently expressed a positive view of the app, citing its influence on younger voters.
