Here Are All the Companies Reportedly in the Running To Buy TikTok Ahead of the Deadline

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In the final days before the looming April 5 deadline, a flurry of high-profile suitors has entered the race to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations. Among the latest to join the bidding war are Applovin, Amazon, Oracle, Blackstone, and Andreessen Horowitz, all competing for control of the short-form video app, which boasts 170 million American users.

TikTok faces mounting pressure to secure a deal or risk a U.S. ban over national security concerns. The geopolitically charged negotiations, requiring Beijing’s approval, are also unfolding as President Donald Trump unveils new tariff plans.

Meanwhile, Trump reportedly met with top White House officials on April 2 to review strategies aimed at averting a TikTok ban and discuss a proposal that could secure the app’s future in the U.S.

“It does not feel like these are serious bids for TikTok. It is hard to imagine any of these companies, like Amazon and Oracle, successfully operating just a piece of TikTok,” said David Arslanian, managing director of Progress Partners. “The most logical outcome is to give everyone more time. But logical is not part of the current playbook. With tariffs set to be enacted today, I would guess that this becomes another bargaining chip.”

This deal was a “fool’s errand from the beginning."

As the long national saga for TikTok continues, here’s a look at all the players who have thrown their hats in the ring this week. ADWEEK has reached out to all the companies for comment.

AppLovin

Mobile technology company AppLovin has made a bid for TikTok, reportedly with backing from casino mogul Steve Wynn, according to The Wall Street Journal. Its pitch: AppLovin is positioning itself as a solution to national security concerns while promising to fuel economic growth and job creation, a person familiar with the matter told the publication.

Amazon

The e-commerce giant made a last-minute offer for TikTok, The New York Times reported. However, the bid—submitted via a letter to Vice President JD Vance—isn’t being taken seriously by key stakeholders involved in the negotiations, according to NYT.

“Amazon’s reported bid is proof of TikTok’s prowess in ecommerce and the changing nature of how consumers shop and buy,” Jasmine Enberg, vp of content at Emarketer, told ADWEEK in a statement.

The retail giant has struggled to make inroads into social and creator-led shopping with 46% of U.S. TikTok users now purchasing on the social platform, per Emarketer.

“The acquisition could strengthen Amazon’s position, particularly among younger shoppers who start and end their shopping journeys on TikTok or other social platforms,” Enberg said.

TikTok is reshuffling its leadership ranks as it navigates mounting uncertainty in the U.S.

VC firm Andreessen Horowitz

Venture capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz, led by Silicon Valley exec and Trump supporter Marc Andreessen, is in talks to inject fresh capital into a bid that would carve TikTok out of its Chinese parent, ByteDance, per the Financial Times.

This isn’t an unusual play for Andreessen Horowitz, which has previously backed social media companies, including early investments in Facebook and Instagram. The firm also put $400 million into Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X).

Private equity firm Blackstone

Private equity giant Blackstone is evaluating a potential minority investment in TikTok, Reuters reported. The firm is in talks to join ByteDance’s existing non-Chinese shareholders—led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic—in contributing fresh capital for a bid on TikTok’s U.S. operations.

Oracle

Oracle is also among the companies looking to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations in a high-stakes race. Its involvement, per Bloomberg, would include providing security guarantees and taking a minority stake in a newly formed American entity.

However, the deal could still leave TikTok’s prized algorithm under Chinese ownership, a key sticking point in the ongoing negotiations.

Blake Chandlee, who overlooked ad sales and marketing at TikTok, will be leaving the company next month.

While Oracle has the data chops to take on TikTok, the company shut down its ad business last year, raising questions about how it would handle TikTok’s lucrative advertising model, ADWEEK previously reported. To that, the culture clash between a corporate B2B firm and a fast-moving social media platform could pose significant operational challenges.