Billionaire Elon Musk doesn't want to buy TikTok, MrBeast becomes the leading candidate?

In a recent statement, Elon Musk said he often builds companies "from scratch" and is not interested in acquiring existing businesses. The news was welcomed by a potential TikTok buyer, Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast on YouTube.

US users still can't download TikTok on the App Store and Google Play

PHOTO: CNN screenshot

Back in January 2025, it was reported that the Chinese government was considering selling TikTok's US assets to Elon Musk, who has a good relationship with China and has repeatedly praised the country. Tesla's Shanghai factory has also brought Musk a lot of goodwill from officials.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has left open the possibility that Elon Musk or Oracle CEO Larry Ellison could buy TikTok, suggesting that the app could join "X" - the new name for Twitter under Musk's management. However, Musk has insisted that he is not interested in acquiring TikTok. In a statement to The WELT Group, a division of German media company Axel Springer SE, Elon Musk said: "I am not bidding for TikTok. I am not eager to acquire TikTok, I do not acquire companies in general, that is quite rare. I usually build companies from scratch."

Why doesn't Elon Musk want to buy TikTok?

Elon Musk also said he doesn't use TikTok and isn't familiar with the app's format. Musk's statement about not buying companies and building them from scratch has raised questions about his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in October 2022.

Musk compared the Twitter purchase to the TikTok purchase, noting that he bought Twitter to “protect free speech,” but was unsure whether the same reasoning could apply to TikTok, as he suggested the only reason for the acquisition was financial.

Interestingly, Elon Musk has previously expressed his opposition to the TikTok ban, arguing that it goes against freedom of speech. He also pointed out that the current situation, where TikTok is allowed to operate in the US but X is not allowed to operate in China, is unfair and needs to change.

MrBeast is reportedly interested in buying TikTok as part of an investment group led by Jesse Tinsley, founder and CEO of Employer.com.

TikTok’s future in the US remains uncertain. US President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending the ban for 75 days, extending the deadline to April 4, 2025. However, the app remains absent from the US Apple and Google stores.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ti-phu-elon-musk-khong-muon-mua-tiktok-mrbeast-tro-thanh-ung-vien-hang-dau-185250211090335423.htm