US and China reach agreement on TikTok share sale

The United States and China have signed a deal to sell the US arm of TikTok to a consortium of mostly American investors led by Oracle and Silver Lake. The deal is reportedly set to close this week.

As a result of the deal, Chinese company ByteDance will hold only a 20% stake in the subsidiary, while Oracle, Silver Lake and UAE-based MGX will each hold 15%. Other investors include Susquehanna, Dragoneer, DFO and the family office of Dell Chairman Michael Dell.

January 22 marks the closing date for the sale of TikTok's US arm to a group of American investors. According to Chinese media, the social media platform's new joint venture will be responsible for data protection and media content moderation.

According to analytics firm Sensor Tower, TikTok became the most downloaded app in the US in 2021 and 2022. TikTok is currently used by approximately 170 million Americans, representing roughly half of the country's population.

In September 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order approving the deal that places the Chinese social network’s US operations under the control of American businesses. The document, published by the White House on its website, states that “TikTok’s US app will be operated by a new joint venture company headquartered in the United States.” The company will be “operated in the US by a board of directors with national security and cybersecurity credentials and will be subject to strict rules to protect Americans’ data and our national security.”