Top YouTuber offers to buy TikTok

MrBeast has claimed that “many billionaires” want to help him save the social media platform from a US ban

YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has drawn widespread attention after offering to purchase TikTok in a bid to prevent its potential ban in the United States.

The 2024 Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) requires ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, to divest its US operations by January 19, 2025, or face an outright ban in the country.

“Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned,” MrBeast wrote in a surprising post on X on Tuesday. The remark by YouTube’s top creator, who boasts over 340 million subscribers, has generated significant online discussion, with both fans and fellow influencers weighing in on the feasibility of such an ambitious move.

“Unironically, I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off,” the YouTuber added in a follow-up post. Many users pointed out the immense financial and regulatory challenges that would accompany such a deal.

Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off