With TikTok’s fate in the U.S. hanging by a thread, a new name has entered the conversation: MrBeast.
The world’s biggest YouTuber tweeted his interest in buying TikTok. Later following up saying “many billionaires” reached out to help pull off the purchase.
But can MrBeast save TikTok? Or any other buyers for that matter?
Bigger Picture
In a few days, on January 19, TikTok will be banned in the U.S. unless the Supreme Court steps in or a sale is made.
If neither happens, TikTok’s US servers will “go dark.” That means even global users (or users with a VPN) may not access or see U.S. accounts.
Potential Buyers
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has said it won’t sell. But with pressure mounting, some big names have expressed interest, including:
- MrBeast: he says he’s exploring the idea with billionaire backers.
- Rumble: The alt-tech video platform made an offer in March 2024.
- Frank McCourt: The billionaire ex-Dodgers owner made a $20 billion verbal commitment to buy TikTok.
- Elon Musk: While rumors swirled, ByteDance dismissed the idea as “pure fiction.”
Even if ByteDance decides to sell, China has implied it won’t allow TikTok’s algorithm —the secret sauce of the app’s success — to leave its borders.
What Happens If TikTok is Banned?
- No Downloads: TikTok will disappear from app stores.
- No Updates: Existing users won’t receive security patches, leaving the app vulnerable, buggier and, eventually, unusable.
- Shutdown: ByteDance plans to disable U.S. servers, effectively killing TikTok for everyone.
The Real Winners
TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users will look for alternatives, and platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat are poised to benefit.
YouTube is in the process of extending Shorts length to three minutes.
Other Chinese-owned platforms, such as Xiaohongshu — known as RedNote among its U.S. users — have seen rapid growth in the U.S. and the UK.
Congress and Trump Weigh In
Amid the chaos, some lawmakers are pushing to delay the ban. A bipartisan bill led by Senator Markey seeks to extend the deadline by 270 days, arguing the ban was rushed.
President-elect Trump, meanwhile, asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban until he’s in office, where he says he can broker a “political resolution.”
Our Take
If you have an audience on TikTok…oh boy. The best time to ask them to follow you on other platforms was like a year ago.
The second best time is now.
But here’s the kicker: don’t ask them to follow you everywhere like so many creators are doing right now.
Pick one platform you’ve built a following like YouTube, Instagram, or your newsletter. Make at least three posts with a clear CTA to it.
Then, pray someone buys the app. But plan like nobody will.