Top Trump allies in talks with Zelensky's political opposition, considering early elections
Mar 20, 2025
Lachlan Murdoch, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison Tapped as Key U.S. Investors in TikTok Deal, Trump Says
September. 22, 2025
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that media executive Lachlan Murdoch and tech billionaires Larry Ellison and Michael Dell will join a group of U.S. investors in a proposed agreement to keep the popular social media app TikTok operating in the United States.
The deal, now in advanced talks with Beijing, would require TikTok’s American assets to be transferred from China’s ByteDance to a new U.S.-controlled company. According to a White House official, ByteDance would retain less than a 20% stake, while the majority would be owned by American investors and overseen by a board with national security and cybersecurity credentials.
“I think they’re going to do a really good job,” Trump told Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing, calling the investors “prominent people and American patriots.” He credited TikTok with helping him reach young voters during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Media and Tech Power Players
Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corp and heir to Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire, recently secured long-term control of the family business after resolving a lengthy succession dispute. Sources familiar with the negotiations said any Murdoch investment would come through Fox Corp, not personally or via News Corp. Rupert Murdoch, 94, may also play a role, Trump suggested.
Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle and a longtime Republican donor, has been linked to previous efforts to bring TikTok under U.S. ownership. Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, has not commented on the talks.
Political and Economic Context
The Trump administration has so far declined to enforce a 2024 U.S. law—passed under President Biden—that would have required TikTok’s divestiture by January 2025 over national security concerns about Chinese access to U.S. user data. TikTok currently has around 170 million U.S. users, making it one of the country’s most influential social platforms.
The administration’s move follows a series of unusual federal interventions in U.S. business, including taking a 10% stake in Intel Corp and brokering a deal for Nvidia to sell certain AI chips to China in exchange for a share of sales.
Critics, including some Republican lawmakers and business leaders, argue such actions represent a sharp break from traditional U.S. free-market policies and could undermine competitiveness.
Next Steps
Negotiations between Washington and Beijing continue, with both sides signaling progress. If completed, the TikTok agreement would place the app’s U.S. operations firmly under American oversight while giving Trump allies in corporate America a stake in one of the most influential social media platforms.
Source: Reuters
