Boma Achenimie 
Amid the call for a ban on the social media platform, Frank McCourt, billionaire businessman and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner has offered to purchase TikTok’s United States assets from its parent company, ByteDance.
Correspondingly, the group popularly known as The People’s Bid for TikTok is supported by Kevin O’Leary, a well-known investor from “Shark Tank.”
The offer comes just a day before the Supreme Court set to hear the oral arguments on whether to uphold legislation or ban TikTok in the US from January 19 if it’s not sold.
However, ByteDance has repeatedly stated that TikTok is not for sale, posing a significant obstacle to the plan.
The proposed deal would involve purchasing the US version of TikTok without its algorithm and recreating it on American-designed systems.
This move is likely a response to Chinese export control regulations requiring a license to sell sensitive technologies.
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McCourt’s group intends to collaborate with President-elect Donald Trump to seal the deal.
The initiative aims to “minimise interruption for TikTokers and prioritise privacy and trust on the platform.”
However, many users and social media professionals question whether a sale excluding the algorithm could be effective, given its key role in the app’s popularity.
O’Leary addressed these concerns, stating, “We wish to dispel the myth that it cannot sell since, in the absence of the algorithm, no one will purchase it… Without the algorithm, we’ll purchase it.
We don’t require them. We will take care of it ourselves and restore TikTok to its former glory.”
