US President Donald Trump floated the idea of tech moguls Elon Musk or Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok.
The event, which highlighted a $500 billion investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, featured Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masa Son, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
“Larry, let’s negotiate this in front of the media,” Trump quipped, addressing Ellison directly. “Here’s what I’m thinking—someone should buy TikTok, and half of it should go to the United States of America. We’ll grant the necessary permits, and they’ll have a fantastic partner—the United States.”
Ellison, known for his close ties to Trump, replied with a chuckle, “Sounds like a good deal to me, Mr. President.”
While the proposal sounded ambitious, the logistics and legalities remain unclear. Critics have pointed out that such a move could tread on the boundaries of the First Amendment, raising questions about how the U.S. government could operate a speech platform without infringing on constitutional rights.
