MrBeast, the highest-earning creator on the internet, has officially entered the race to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.
The creator, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has teamed up with a group of investors to pursue the purchase of TikTok, as the platform faces the threat of a U.S. ban, according to multiple reports published on Tuesday, January 21.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has fewer than 75 days to secure a new owner for the platform or risk a permanent ban. The proposed ban initially went into effect on January 19, though President Donald Trump extended the deadline following his inauguration.
Last week, Donaldson, who ranks as TikTok’s third-most popular creator and holds the title of the most-followed creator on YouTube, posted a message on X under his MrBeast persona: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.”
While the tone of the message may have seemed playful, Donaldson’s attorney confirmed that he was serious. Just two days later, MrBeast shared a video on TikTok, stating, “I just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires. TikTok, we mean business. This is my lawyer right here, we have an offer ready for you, we want to buy the platform.”
In the meantime, other potential bidders have emerged to keep TikTok operational. Over the weekend, reports indicated that search engine startup Perplexity AI intends to merge with TikTok and has submitted an offer to ByteDance. According to a Reuters report, the proposed deal would see Perplexity combine with TikTok’s U.S. operations to form a new entity, merging with New Capital Partners.
