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Trump team says TikTok U.S. divestiture deal close, Oracle and Silver Lake among investors

The White House said Monday that President Donald Trump will soon certify a deal to separate TikTok’s U.S. operations from Chinese parent ByteDance, declaring it compliant with the 2024 divestiture law.

Under the agreement, ByteDance’s stake will fall below 20%, with control shifting to a mix of existing U.S. stakeholders and new investors, including Oracle and private equity firm Silver Lake. Additional “household name” investors are expected to be announced, according to a senior official.

Key deal terms include:

  • Oracle will provide U.S.-based cloud infrastructure to store all American user data.

  • Prominent U.S. investors such as Lachlan Murdoch, Larry Ellison, and Michael Dell are expected to participate.

  • The U.S. government will not take a board seat or a “golden share” in the new entity.

  • TikTok’s U.S. assets are valued at “many billions of dollars,” though an exact figure is pending.

The Trump administration is confident Beijing has signed off on the framework, though some paperwork still needs to be finalized. China’s embassy in Washington said it welcomed “productive commercial negotiations” that respected both nations’ laws and interests.

TikTok, with 170 million American users, faced a looming ban after Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance to divest U.S. operations by January 2025. Trump previously extended enforcement to mid-December to allow negotiations. His new executive order will add another 120-day pause to give investors and ByteDance time to close the deal.

The agreement marks a rare breakthrough in strained U.S.–China trade relations and could prevent a forced shutdown of one of the world’s most popular social media platforms in America.

Trump expected to greenlight TikTok U.S. deal via executive order this week

President Donald Trump is expected to approve a long-awaited deal to secure TikTok’s future in the U.S. through an executive order later this week, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a senior White House official. The move would bring months of tense U.S.–China negotiations to a close and establish the legal framework for the app to continue operating in America.

The agreement requires TikTok’s U.S. assets to shift under American ownership and management. According to officials, the app’s core algorithm will be “secured, retrained, and operated in the United States outside of ByteDance’s control.”

Key details of the deal include:

  • A new U.S.-based entity will oversee TikTok operations, with a board comprised of directors experienced in national security and cybersecurity.

  • American investors—including media executive Lachlan Murdoch, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and Dell chairman Michael Dell—will play a major role.

  • U.S. firms Oracle and Silver Lake will control about 50% of the new company.

  • Existing investors, such as Susquehanna International, will hold around 30%.

  • ByteDance’s ownership stake will drop below 20%.

To safeguard user data, all information from American TikTok accounts will be stored on U.S.-based cloud infrastructure run by Oracle.

The expected approval reflects Trump’s insistence on limiting Chinese influence over TikTok while keeping the popular video app available to its tens of millions of U.S. users.

Trump says Murdoch, Ellison, Dell lined up as investors in TikTok U.S. deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Lachlan Murdoch, Larry Ellison, and Michael Dell would be among the American investors involved in a proposed deal to keep TikTok operating in the United States.

The arrangement is part of ongoing negotiations to transfer TikTok’s U.S. assets away from China’s ByteDance to a U.S.-controlled entity. The app, with 170 million U.S. users, has been at the center of Washington’s national security concerns and a 2024 law requiring divestiture by January 2025.

Key details of the proposed deal:

  • Ownership structure: TikTok’s U.S. operations would be majority-owned by American investors, with ByteDance holding under 20% of shares.

  • Governance: The U.S. entity would be operated domestically by a board with national security and cybersecurity credentials.

  • Investors:

    • Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corp, through Fox (not personally). Rupert Murdoch, 94, may also play a role.

    • Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder and major Republican donor, has long been linked to TikTok negotiations.

    • Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies.

  • Data & algorithm safeguards: All U.S. user data will be stored on Oracle cloud infrastructure, with TikTok’s algorithm retrained and operated under U.S. supervision outside of ByteDance’s control.

Trump’s comments:

Trump praised the investors on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing, calling them “American patriots” and saying, “I think they’re going to do a really good job.” He also credited TikTok with helping him build youth voter support during the 2024 election.

Political and economic context:

  • The deal remains under scrutiny by Congress, with Democrats warning against giving Beijing influence or allowing Trump’s allies too much control.

  • Trump has delayed enforcement of the shutdown law until December, with a possible extension into April 2025 to finalize terms.

  • The deal is being folded into broader U.S.-China economic talks, reflecting Trump’s transactional approach.

  • It follows other unusual Trump administration interventions in business, such as taking a 10% U.S. stake in Intel and approving Nvidia chip sales to China in exchange for a cut of sales.

Critics argue these maneuvers deviate from free-market norms, while Trump insists they strengthen U.S. leverage and protect national interests.