MrBeast, the popular YouTuber, is reportedly part of a consortium aiming to acquire TikTok for over $20 billion. Bloomberg reported that this group, including MrBeast, Jesse Tinsley (founder of Employer.com), Roblox co-founder and CEO David Baszucki, and Nathan McCauley (head of Anchorage Digital), believes a successful bid would require $25 billion. While TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has declared its U.S. operations are not for sale, and the Tinsley-led group hasn't received a direct response, MrBeast's representatives indicate he's engaged in discussions with various parties and intends to align with the eventual frontrunner.

This bid follows President Trump's earlier statement regarding Microsoft's potential TikTok acquisition and his expressed desire for a bidding war. Microsoft has yet to confirm this claim.

The attempted acquisition unfolds against a backdrop of legal challenges. TikTok, briefly offline for its 170 million U.S. users, faced a deadline requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell or face a ban. This followed a Supreme Court rejection of TikTok's First Amendment challenge, citing national security concerns related to data collection and foreign control. Service was restored after assurances from President Trump.

TikTok subsequently stated its commitment to working with President Trump on a long-term solution to maintain its U.S. presence. Following his inauguration, President Trump issued an executive order delaying enforcement of the relevant law by 75 days, and has since expressed openness to various potential buyers, including Elon Musk.