WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order declaring that a newly announced restructuring of TikTok’s U.S. operations satisfies the requirements of a federal law threatening to ban the app unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, divests.
At a White House signing ceremony, Trump said the American version of the short-video platform will be overseen by a consortium of “highly sophisticated” U.S. investors, naming Larry Ellison (Oracle), Michael Dell (Dell Technologies) and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch among backers. Private-equity firm Silver Lake and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz are also expected to participate.
The president, who has frequently praised the investors, insisted the platform would not be politicized. “If I could make it 100 percent MAGA I would, but it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately,” he said. “Every group, every philosophy, every policy, will be treated very fairly.”
Under the arrangement, the U.S. entity will deploy a home-grown version of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, the technology often credited with the app’s explosive growth. A White House official said the system would be “continuously monitored” to ensure it is “not being unduly influenced.”
The deal responds to a statute enacted under former President Joe Biden that compels ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. business or face a nationwide ban. Lawmakers in both parties have warned that Beijing could exploit the app to access Americans’ data or to shape public discourse via its algorithm. Trump, who pursued similar concerns in his first term, framed Thursday’s order as resolving those national-security risks while preserving a hugely popular product for U.S. users and creators.
Vice President J.D. Vance, a former venture capitalist who led the administration’s search for a solution, said the new U.S. entity would be valued at about $14 billion, cautioning that final pricing rests with the investor group.
Asked whether China had approved the transaction, Trump said President Xi Jinping signaled support in a phone call last week. “I have great respect for President Xi, and I very much appreciate that he approved the deal,” Trump said. Chinese state media later said Xi backed market-based negotiations that comply with Chinese law, while Beijing otherwise remained publicly noncommittal.
Key questions remain, including the scope of code transfer, the governance structure of the new company, data-security audit protocols, and how “continuous monitoring” will operate in practice. Still, the executive order removes a major legal overhang for TikTok’s U.S. future—pending final agreements, regulatory clearances, and any potential court challenges.
