Amazon enters race to buy TikTok amid heightened acquisition drama
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Amazon has reportedly submitted a last-minute bid to acquire TikTok, adding further complexity to the ongoing acquisition saga involving the popular video-sharing app.
The offer was presented to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, just days before the April 5 deadline for TikTok to either secure a new owner or risk being banned from its largest market.
The bid from Amazon joins an increasingly crowded field of potential buyers, including companies like AppLovin, which is also pursuing a takeover deal. With TikTok once valued at approximately $60 billion (roughly Rs. 5,13,272 crore), it remains a coveted asset among tech giants, influencers, entrepreneurs, and investors eager to capitalise on the platform’s massive popularity among American youth.
Concerns over national security and potential Chinese government interference have fueled Washington’s aggressive stance toward TikTok, which has sparked ongoing legal and political battles. The Trump administration, under pressure from bipartisan legislation signed by former President Joe Biden, has insisted on a sell-or-ban resolution to address fears of data misuse and propaganda.
Despite Beijing’s initial outcry against what it deemed “open robbery,” reports suggest that Chinese authorities may be open to a deal as long as it does not involve the transfer of TikTok’s proprietary recommendation algorithms.
According to Bloomberg, President Donald Trump was expected to meet with top officials to evaluate various acquisition proposals, including one led by Oracle Corp., Blackstone Inc., and other investors. However, Amazon’s bid is reportedly not being seriously considered by the administration, though its involvement may push rival bidders to increase their offers.
Amazon’s interest in TikTok could also provide the e-commerce giant with insight into TikTok’s financial performance, particularly TikTok Shop, which poses a growing threat to Amazon’s online retail dominance.
Other high-profile bids include offers from billionaire Frank McCourt, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, YouTube star MrBeast, tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley, and a merger proposal from San Francisco-based Perplexity AI. Meanwhile, AppLovin’s interest in TikTok has already driven its shares up by as much as six percent, according to CNBC.
Although Trump has previously extended the acquisition deadline from its original date of January 19, it remains uncertain whether another extension will be granted. Any finalised deal would also require approval from TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and the Chinese government.
Frank McCourt, whose acquisition proposal is still on the table, acknowledged that a resolution is unlikely to be reached before the April 5 deadline. “I personally think that's highly unlikely but we'll know more this afternoon or certainly by the 5th,” McCourt stated during an interview with Bloomberg Television.