White House reportedly sought 'low‑billions' payment from TikTok buyer consortium amid sale approval
The White House moved to clear a framework for a sale that would place TikTok’s U.S. operations in a majority‑American joint venture — with ByteDance holding under 20%, a seven‑member board dominated by U.S. citizens, Oracle designated to host U.S. data and retrain/run a leased copy of the recommendation algorithm, and a buyer group reported to include investors such as Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz and figures named by President Trump like Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch and Michael Dell — and signed an executive order pausing enforcement to let the deal proceed. Reportedly, the administration sought a payment from the buyer consortium “in the low billions,” a demand some investors treated as a finders’ fee while critics condemned it as a “shake‑down” or tax‑like rent‑seeking.
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📰 Sources (14)
Trump's TikTok deal payment criticized as 'shake-down scheme' by experts
New information:
- The White House reportedly asked the buyer consortium to pay the federal government 'in the low billions' as part of the TikTok U.S. sale negotiations.
- According to a person with direct knowledge, members of the investor group (including Larry Ellison, the Murdochs and Andreessen Horowitz) did not balk and treated it like a 'finders' fee.'
- Prominent economist Luigi Zingales is quoted criticizing the practice as creating a 'tax' on transactions and encouraging rent‑seeking behavior.
Trump advances TikTok deal with new executive order
New information:
- Names specific investors reportedly involved: Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Dell, and investment firm Silver Lake.
- Notes that under the deal ByteDance would own less than 20% of the new U.S. entity and that the executive order says the divestiture meets the statute's 'qualified divestiture' standard.
- Quotes Vice President J.D. Vance citing a ~$14 billion valuation and includes direct Trump comments (e.g., being 'a little bit prejudiced' in favor of the app).
- References the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act by name and notes the Supreme Court upheld the law (context for the executive order).
Trump signs order allowing TikTok deal to proceed
New information:
- President Trump signed the executive order allowing a deal for TikTok's U.S. assets to move forward (Sept. 25, 2025).
- Vice President JD Vance said the deal would value the company at around $14 billion (comment attributed to Vance).
- Reporting (CNBC) named primary investors as Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi's MGX; Trump also mentioned Rupert Murdoch and Michael Dell as potential participants.
- Article reiterates structural terms: Americans would hold six of seven board seats and the algorithm would be leased from ByteDance and run under U.S. control.
President Trump signs executive order paving way for TikTok deal to avoid U.S. ban
New information:
- President Donald Trump signed the executive order authorizing a framework to place TikTok control and its recommendation algorithm with American investors.
- CBS News published video coverage confirming the signing occurred on Thursday (per the report).
- The signing moves the previously reported TikTok U.S. JV process from 'expected' to an official executive action enabling the deal to proceed.
Trump expected to sign TikTok executive order
New information:
- President Trump is expected to sign the executive order on Thursday (article dated Sep. 25, 2025), per a White House official previewing the plan.
- Anonymous White House official publicly previewed the timing of the EO to declare the deal meets security requirements.
Trump expected to sign deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S.
New information:
- White House will characterize the arrangement as a 'qualified divestiture' and issue an executive order pausing enforcement of the divestiture law for 120 days to finalize the deal.
- Under the plan, ByteDance's recommendation algorithm would be copied and retrained to operate solely on U.S. user data (a U.S.-only algorithm instance).
- Oracle would host Americans' TikTok user data and conduct code reviews to verify the algorithm's behavior and security; a consortium of U.S. investors including Oracle would hold a stake.
- A White House official said the administration is '100% confident' the proposal complies with the law; some lawmakers (Rep. John Moolenaar) have already expressed concern the deal may still allow ongoing reliance on ByteDance technology.
Deal for TikTok creates U.S. joint venture, and government won't have a stake
New information:
- White House says the U.S. government will not take an ownership stake or board seat in the new TikTok U.S. joint venture.
- The JV will receive a copy of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm that will be retrained on U.S. data.
- Oracle named as the 'security provider' overseeing how the algorithm works, app updates, and storage of Americans’ data.
- President Trump is expected to sign an executive order this week declaring the deal meets U.S. national security needs and extending the enforcement pause to finalize documents.
- The deal is slated to close within 120 days of signing.
- Trump publicly named Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, and Lachlan Murdoch as involved investors; the White House declined to confirm others.
Oracle will manage TikTok’s algorithm for U.S. users under Trump administration deal
New information:
- A senior Trump administration official says Oracle will receive a copy of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm and operate it for U.S. users.
- The official confirmed Silver Lake is part of the investor group; full investor list not yet released.
- Context reiterated: Trump has extended the divestiture deadline multiple times and recently spoke with China’s Xi Jinping.
White House shares plan to "save" TikTok, says Beijing is on board
New information:
- White House official says Congress may still need to sign off on any finalized TikTok deal.
- Oracle would provide 'top to bottom' security and configure content recommendations, with the algorithm under control of the U.S. joint venture and 'continuously monitored' to prevent undue influence.
- The U.S. does not plan additional talks with the Chinese delegation; the White House says it is confident China has approved the framework.
- Board governance details: a majority of Americans on the TikTok U.S. JV board; uncertainty remains over any Chinese officials on the board.
White House discloses more details of deal to save TikTok
New information:
- TikTok U.S. would lease a duplicate copy of ByteDance’s recommendation algorithm rather than buy it outright.
- The U.S. joint venture would be controlled by an investor group led by Andreessen Horowitz, Silver Lake and Oracle; Oracle will retrain the algorithm and protect U.S. data.
- Board structure: new U.S. investors, existing ByteDance investors, and one ByteDance representative; the U.S. government will have no board seat or equity.
- Trump will extend the enforcement pause by 120 days and is expected to sign an executive order approving the deal later this week.
- A White House official says China approved the terms during a bilateral meeting in Madrid last week.
- U.S. users would not need to re-download the app; service continuity with TikTok outside the U.S. would be maintained.
- Potential Hill flashpoint: leasing may test statutory language barring 'cooperation with respect to the operation of a content recommendation algorithm.'
- Trump’s Sunday comments about investors (Michael Dell, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch) refer to BDT & MSD Partners and Fox Corp., per Axios.
Trump set to approve TikTok deal ensuring majority-American investor control: White House
New information:
- Trump is expected to sign an executive order later this week approving the proposed TikTok deal.
- U.S. operations will be placed in a new U.S.-based joint venture with ByteDance holding less than 20% and a majority owned by American investors.
- The new board will have seven members, a majority of whom must be U.S. citizens; ByteDance can appoint one director but that person cannot chair the board or sit on the data security committee.
- Oracle will serve as the trusted security provider in partnership with the U.S. government, handling source code review, algorithm retraining, application development/deployment, and continuous monitoring.
- All U.S. user data will reside in a purpose-built Oracle cloud in the United States with perimeter controls and gateways; data flows will be governed by machine learning–based controls.
- TikTok’s U.S. algorithm will be separated from ByteDance: ByteDance will create a duplicate algorithm and lease it to the JV; Oracle will retrain and operate it entirely in the U.S., independent of ByteDance.
Trump says Murdochs and Dell could potentially take part in U.S.-China TikTok deal
New information:
- Trump explicitly named Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch and Michael Dell as potential participants in the U.S. investor group.
- Trump said Larry Ellison (Oracle) is part of the group; White House reiterated Oracle will handle data/security and that Americans will control 6 of 7 board seats.
- Trump discussed the TikTok deal with China’s Xi Jinping in a Friday call; U.S. and China set a Dec. 16 deadline to finalize details after a deadline extension.
- The disclosure came in a Fox News interview recorded Friday and aired Sunday.
Rupert Murdoch, Michael Dell part of U.S. TikTok buyer group, Trump says
New information:
- President Trump said Rupert Murdoch and Michael Dell are part of the U.S. investor group seeking to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.
TikTok deal will be signed soon, with U.S. control of algorithm, White House says
New information:
- Karoline Leavitt: '100% confident that a deal is done,' signature expected 'in the coming days.'
- Structure: Majority U.S. ownership; 7‑member board with 6 Americans; U.S. control of the recommendation algorithm.
- Oracle designated to manage U.S. data and security; Congress previously passed a sale‑or‑ban law that the administration has delayed enforcing during talks.