TikTok’s US Business Sold—Because Nothing Says 'Trust Us' Like Beijing Holding 20%
KEY POINTS
- •TikTok finalized its US business sale, with Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi's MGX owning 45% as of January 22, 2026.
- •ByteDance retains a surprising 20% stake, while remaining shares belong to affiliates of existing ByteDance investors.
- •The sale follows TikTok’s brief US blackout in January due to the divest-or-ban law and political pressure from the Trump administration.
TikTok’s epic 2025 US business swap finale translates to Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi's MGX snatching 45% on January 22nd, with ByteDance clutching 20%, showcasing a barely disguised 'handshake deal with China.' ByteDance investors keep the rest, meaning more fingers in this digital jar than a toddler at cookie time. CEO Shou Zi Chew charmingly noted it in a memo while the app vanished briefly in January thanks to a disappearing act induced by a chaos theory called 'divest-or-ban law.' Meanwhile, former President Trump chopped and extended TikTok’s survival like a reality show gimmick, proving political theater meets tech drama in America.
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TikTok’s sold 80% to US firms but China still has a stake. It’s basically selling your house but keeping your bedroom key. Transparency doesn’t scare ByteDance; it’s a new dance of ‘we’re barely strangers’.
TikTok’s US sale means Oracle and friends get the big slice, but China’s ByteDance keeps the corner booth at this awkward family dinner called Data Privacy.
Selling TikTok’s US business but ByteDance still owns 20% is like giving your trusted babysitter a second job babysitting your kids.
Source: Theverge | Published: 12/18/2025 | Author: Emma Roth
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