Who could snap up TikTok with a ban nearing? Amazon steps into the bidding fray.

President Donald Trump states that he is near to finalizing a deal for TikTok’s sale as the United States prepares to impose a ban on the app if ByteDance does not divest by Sunday. The U.S. law from last year requires ByteDance to sell TikTok because it poses national security risks from China accessing user data although Beijing denies these claims. The app experienced a one-day shutdown in the United States when the law took effect in January but Trump extended the deadline until April 5.

During his Air Force One appearance on Thursday Trump revealed that “multiple investors” are close to reaching an agreement. Trump mentioned that tariff reductions for China could happen if the country allows the sale to proceed. Who’s in the mix? Amazon made a last-minute bid according to CBS but the company did not provide any further information. Trump mentioned Larry Ellison from Oracle and Elon Musk as potential candidates but Elon Musk is no longer in the running. The bid for TikTok acquisition comes from billionaire Frank McCourt who teams up with “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. YouTube personality MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) seeks investment with his team of business partners. The new company Zoop from founder Tim Stokely operates as a second contender in this deal. The reported interest in the TikTok acquisition comes from major corporations including Microsoft and Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz and Perplexity AI. The current proposal involves ByteDance maintaining ownership of its algorithm while establishing a U.S.-based TikTok management company.

TikTok will disappear from U.S. app stores if no acquisition agreement materializes before April 5. Trump’s January executive order provided 75 days of protection but did not reverse the congressional ban which the Supreme Court confirmed. The law could remain in effect but Trump might direct the Justice Department to ignore it thus preventing Apple and Google from facing penalties for hosting TikTok which returned in February. Trump has indicated he would “probably” give talks more time if they stall. The application’s future together with its 170 million American users remains uncertain as the time runs out in this intense battle.