President Donald Trump mentioned that notable billionaires — such as media magnate Rupert Murdoch and tech entrepreneur Michael Dell — might be involved in a transaction where the U.S. assumes control of the social video app TikTok.

Trump mentioned the 94-year-old Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch, who leads Fox News and News Corp, as potential participants in a deal during an interview recorded Friday and broadcast Sunday on Fox News.

"I believe they will be part of the group. Truly wonderful individuals, very notable individuals.  They’re also American patriots; they care deeply for this nation. I believe they will perform exceptionally well,” says  Trump.

Trump's revelation of the possible participation of the Murdochs and Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, marks the newest development in a rapidly evolving prospective agreement to maintain TikTok's operations in the U.S.

Also Read: US Tariffs on India an Economic Boon?

On Sunday, Trump mentioned that Larry Ellison, the founder and CEO of tech giant Oracle, was included in that same group. His participation had been previously revealed. On Saturday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Oracle would handle the app’s data and security, and that Americans would occupy six of the seven positions on an upcoming board.

Also Read: SCO Summit 2025: Outcomes of Modi-Xi Meeting

A lot remains uncertain regarding the specific agreement being negotiated. Trump had an extensive phone conversation with China’s Xi Jinping on Friday regarding the TikTok agreement. Chinese and U.S. officials have until December 16 to finalize the particulars, after the Trump administration's recent deadline extension.

Also Read: A Brief History of India's Transformation Under PM Narendra Modi

TikTok is an extremely popular application that is presently owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance. U.S. officials have cautioned that the algorithm TikTok employs to determine user content is susceptible to manipulation by Chinese officials, who can exploit it to promote material on the platform in a manner that's hard to identify.

Congress enacted a law mandating a TikTok ban to take effect in January, yet Trump has consistently issued orders enabling TikTok to continue functioning in the United States while his administration seeks a deal for the social media company's parent to divest its U.S. operations.

 

On Sunday, Trump remarked that he was "a bit biased" regarding TikTok since he acknowledged the app for aiding him in engaging with younger voters. Trump stated that the murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk urged the president to utilize the app.