Trump signs executive order approving U.S. TikTok deal with Oracle, Dell, Murdoch among investors
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order declaring that an announced deal for a U.S. version of TikTok complies with federal law, averting a ban on the popular social media app in the country.
At a White House ceremony, Trump confirmed that the restructured TikTok would be backed by a group of high-profile investors including Oracle founder Larry Ellison, tech investor Michael Dell, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Investment firm Silver Lake Partners and Andreessen Horowitz are also believed to be part of the arrangement.
Trump described the investors as “highly sophisticated,” insisting that the app would operate independently and not favor any political ideology. “If I could make it 100 percent MAGA I would, but it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately. No… every group, every philosophy, every policy, will be treated very fairly,” he said.
Under the agreement, TikTok’s U.S. operations will adopt a localized version of the app’s prized algorithm, which a White House official said would be “continuously monitored” to ensure it is free from undue foreign influence.
The new structure follows legislation passed under former President Joe Biden that required TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. assets or face a ban. U.S. policymakers have long expressed concerns that China could exploit the platform for data harvesting or political influence.
Vice President JD Vance, who led negotiations, said the U.S. TikTok entity could be valued at about $14 billion, though the final figure would depend on investor arrangements.
Trump also revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping approved the deal in a recent phone call. “I very much appreciate that he approved the deal, because to get it done properly, we really needed the support of China,” Trump said.
Beijing has made no official statement, though Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Xi emphasized support for market-based negotiations aligned with Chinese law.
