President Donald Trump signs executive order approving sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to investors worth $14 billion.
The deal delays enforcement of a ban while national security conditions are finalized.
United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, authorizing the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to American and global investors, valuing the deal at $14 billion.
The order requires any acquiring companies to meet national security requirements set under a 2024 law, which would otherwise ban the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests.
At an Oval Office briefing, Vice President James Vance said the newly created U.S. entity would be “valued around $14 billion,” adding, “We actually think this is a good deal for investors, but they will decide about what they want to invest and what they think is the proper value.”
The White House pushed back the law’s enforcement date to January 20, 2026, to allow time for the transaction, investor commitments, and negotiations with Chinese authorities.
The executive order marks a significant step forward in the planned divestment of TikTok’s U.S. operations. However, key details remain unresolved, particularly how the U.S. entity will manage TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, widely seen as its most valuable asset.
According to Trump’s order, the algorithm will be retrained on U.S. user data, monitored by the new company’s security partners, and operated under the control of the joint venture.
Trump said he had spoken directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who he claimed signaled approval for the plan.
“We had a good talk, I told him what we were doing, and he said go ahead with it,” Trump told reporters.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington and TikTok did not immediately comment on the development.
Trump has openly credited TikTok, which has 170 million U.S. users, with boosting his 2024 reelection campaign.
He currently has 15 million followers on his personal account, while the White House recently launched an official TikTok presence.
“This is going to be American-operated all the way,” Trump declared.
The President named several expected investors in the new joint venture, including Michael Dell, founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, Rupert Murdoch, chairman emeritus of Fox Corp and News Corp, “Four or five absolutely world-class investors” whose identities are yet to be disclosed.
