ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE – On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that he is currently in discussions with multiple parties interested in acquiring TikTok, and he anticipates making a decision regarding the app’s future in the next month.

“I’ve talked to numerous individuals about TikTok, and there’s a strong interest in it,” Trump stated to reporters aboard Air Force One while headed to Florida.

Earlier reports from Reuters indicated that Trump’s administration is pursuing a strategy to preserve TikTok’s operations in the U.S. by collaborating with software firm Oracle and a consortium of external investors.

Under the proposed arrangement, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company based in China, would maintain a share in the company; however, oversight of data handling and software maintenance would be taken over by Oracle, which already manages part of TikTok’s web framework, according to a source cited by Reuters.

Despite this, Trump mentioned that he has not had discussions with Oracle’s Larry Ellison concerning the acquisition of TikTok.

When asked about forming a partnership with Oracle and other investors to keep TikTok operational, Trump responded: “No, not with Oracle. Many significant individuals are in talks with me regarding its purchase, and I will likely make a decision in about 30 days. Congress has allowed 90 days. If we can preserve TikTok, that would be a positive outcome.”

Sources have indicated that the specifics of any agreement with Oracle are still being negotiated and could evolve. The full range of discussions is not finalized, potentially affecting both U.S. operations and other international markets.

NPR reported on Saturday about ongoing negotiations for TikTok’s global operations, quoting two informed individuals. Oracle has not yet provided any comments.

This potential agreement may involve some of ByteDance’s current U.S. investors, including well-known firms like Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and Sequoia Capital.

Representatives from TikTok, as well as from General Atlantic, KKR, Sequoia, and Susquehanna, were not immediately available to comment.

Others interested in acquiring TikTok, such as the investor group led by billionaire Frank McCourt and one involving YouTube star MrBeast, are not part of the ongoing Oracle discussions, according to one of the sources.

Oracle’s Involvement with TikTok

As part of the proposed agreement, Oracle would take on responsibilities regarding national security concerns. TikTok initially partnered with Oracle in 2022 to store U.S. user data to address fears of interference from the Chinese government.

According to one source, TikTok’s management would continue to run the app as it currently does.

The platform, which has 170 million users in the U.S., was temporarily disabled for users just before a law mandating its sale due to national security concerns came into effect on January 19.

President Trump signed an executive order the following day to delay the enforcement of the law for 75 days, which was established after U.S. officials raised alarms about the potential misuse of American user data by ByteDance.

Reports have indicated that Oracle executives met with White House officials on Friday regarding the possible deal, with another meeting planned for next week.

Oracle is reportedly interested in acquiring a stake in TikTok “in the tens of billions,” but various aspects of the deal remain uncertain, according to NPR’s sources.

Trump has expressed a desire for the United States to have a 50% ownership stake in a joint venture regarding TikTok.

Another source mentioned that winning over Congress is viewed as a significant obstacle for the White House.

Advocates for free speech have opposed the potential ban on TikTok that arose from legislation approved by U.S. Congress and enacted by former President Joe Biden.

TikTok has maintained that U.S. officials have inaccurately portrayed its connections to China, asserting that its content recommendation systems and user data are stored domestically on cloud servers managed by Oracle, with content moderation decisions affecting U.S. users also being made locally.

Contributing: Milana Vinn, Reuters