AppLovin has submitted a bid for TikTok’s non-China assets ahead of the April 5 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has mandated that the short video app find a non-Chinese buyer.
AppLovin’s proposal is preliminary, and the company has acknowledged that a deal may not proceed. The bid comes as other parties, including Amazon and a consortium led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely, enter the race.
The U.S. has raised national security concerns over TikTok’s ties to China, which both TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have denied. Trump has suggested that a deal could involve China approving the sale in exchange for relief from U.S. tariffs.
In addition, private equity firm Blackstone is in talks to join ByteDance’s non-Chinese investors in a bid for TikTok’s U.S. business. The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain due to a 2024 law requiring ByteDance to divest the app by January 19, with a temporary 75-day delay in enforcement signed by Trump.
