Chinese officials are considering a possible scenario where Elon Musk might take over the U.S. operations of TikTok if the company is unable to prevent a contentious ban on the short-video platform, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Beijing officials strongly prefer that TikTok remains under the ownership of its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., according to sources, and the company is currently contesting the looming ban with an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, during arguments on January 10, the justices indicated they are likely to uphold the legislation. Senior Chinese officials have already initiated internal discussions on contingency plans for TikTok, as part of broader talks on navigating relations with Donald Trump’s administration. One of the options under consideration involves Elon Musk, the sources said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
A potential high-profile deal with Musk, one of Trump’s prominent allies, could hold some appeal for the Chinese government, which is expected to play a role in any decision regarding TikTok’s future ownership, the sources noted. Musk contributed over $250 million to Trump’s re-election campaign and is poised for a key role in enhancing government efficiency under the new Republican administration.
In one proposed scenario discussed by Chinese officials, Musk’s X — formerly known as Twitter — would acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations and manage both businesses together, according to the sources. With over 170 million U.S. users, TikTok could strengthen X’s efforts to draw advertisers. Additionally, Musk’s artificial intelligence venture, xAI, could leverage the massive amounts of data generated by TikTok to fuel its development.
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