YouTube creator Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson claims multiple billionaire investors have approached him about joining a potential bid to acquire TikTok following his public statement about purchasing the platform to prevent its ban in the United States.

Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned

— MrBeast (@MrBeast) January 14, 2025

Donaldson, who commands over 300 million YouTube subscribers and has an estimated net worth of $700 million, initially posted on X what appeared to be a casual message about buying TikTok: “Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned.” Hours later, he revealed that the tweet had attracted serious attention from wealthy investors.

“Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off,” Donaldson wrote on January 14.

Potential Minority Stake in Platform’s Future

Sources close to Donaldson tell TMZ that his team is currently engaged in discussions with multiple parties interested in acquiring TikTok. These investor groups reportedly view Donaldson’s extensive social media experience as valuable for maintaining and expanding TikTok’s operations.

The discussions could potentially position Donaldson as a minority owner in TikTok, though sources indicate it’s too early to specify the exact equity stake he might receive.

This development comes as TikTok faces a critical deadline. The platform will cease U.S. operations on January 19 if a federal ban could take effect. The company estimates that a month-long ban would result in approximately one-third of its 170 million American users abandoning the platform.

Parallel Discussions with Elon Musk Emerge

Parallel to Donaldson’s emerging bid, reports emerged that Chinese officials are exploring alternative solutions, including discussions about selling TikTok to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Bloomberg sources reveal that senior Chinese officials are debating contingency plans, with one proposal involving Musk’s platform X taking control of TikTok’s U.S. operations.

However, a TikTok spokesperson commented on the growing speculation for BBC, saying, “We cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction.”

While TikTok’s legal team argues that banning the app violates First Amendment protections, the U.S. Supreme Court appears inclined to uphold the ban. President-elect Donald Trump has requested time after his January 20 inauguration to pursue a “political resolution.”

The current law, signed by outgoing President Joe Biden in April, requires ByteDance to sell its assets by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.