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On Monday, January 6, Kevin O'Leary of Shark Tank fame announced on the Fox News' The Story with Martha MacCallum that he was in talks to buy TikTok, which faces a potential USA ban due to its Chinese origins on January 19. He added, however, that President-elect Donald Trump would need to support the deal in order for it to happen. (Trump has previously advocated for the app to be banned.)
"Trump will be who we have to work with to close the deal in the months ahead," O'Leary told Fox. "So I wanted to let him know, as well as others in his cabinet, that we're doing this, and we're going to need their help."
Frank McCourt, the former owner of the LA Dodgers and creator of a non-profit called Project Liberty, is apparently partnering with O'Leary on the deal. According to their page on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Project Liberty is leading a movement of people who want to take back control of their lives in the digital age."
On his own X account, O'Leary shared a more detailed announcement about his partnership with Project Liberty. "I'm excited to share that I'm partnering with Frank McCourt and the visionary team at @pro_jectliberty to lead The People's Bid for TikTok," wrote the reality TV star.
He continued, "This isn't just about buying TikTok's U.S. assets. It's about something much bigger: protecting the privacy of 170 million American users. It's about empowering creators and small businesses. And it's about building a platform that prioritizes PEOPLE over algorithms."
O'Leary, often referred to as "Mr. Wonderful" on Shark Tank, received many excited replies on social media. "I lend you $50b, and for every TikTok video, I take 10% of the revenue, in perpetuity" - Mr Wonderful," wrote one fan, mimicking the mogul's deal-making style from the show. "You're one person I trust. All The best!" wrote another fan.
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