Will MrBeast buy TikTok?: Americans 'hopeful' as Youtuber says will buy app so 'it doesn't get banned'

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson and boasts an estimated net worth of approximately $1 billion, said this following reports that billionaire and X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk was in talks to acquire TikTok's US operations from its parent company, ByteDance, which TikTok later dismissed them as “pure fiction”.

The potential takeover comes as the US government considers banning TikTok due to national security concerns linked to its Chinese ownership. Officials fear ByteDance could be compelled by Chinese authorities to access US users' data or manipulate content, raising concerns over potential espionage or propaganda efforts.

In response, legislation was enacted in April 2024, requiring ByteDance to either divest from TikTok or face a ban in the US on January 19. TikTok has contested this mandate, arguing that it infringes on First Amendment rights by suppressing freedom of expression. The company has appealed to the US Supreme Court, which is currently deliberating on the case.

MrBeast said on X: “Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned”. Although it did not sound serious at first, he followed up with another tweet, saying: “Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off.”

Analysts estimate that TikTok's US operations could be valued between $40 billion to $50 billion.

His tweets were well-received but many were sceptical of the move. One said: “What makes you think it does not get banned after you buy it?” Another compared him to Musk, saying: “You don’t have enough money for that. You’re not @elonmusk, and never will be.” Another commented: “You didn’t even spell TikTok correctly?”

However, some were hopeful. A person wrote: “Better you than anyone else. I don’t really see you having an agenda, unlike the others that want to buy it.” One said: “I bet you can”. Another chimed in: “I don’t think the issue was money, @MrBeast.”