Is Amazon really trying to buy TikTok?

The competition to buy TikTok suddenly intensified after Amazon unexpectedly made a last-minute offer to purchase the popular social media platform. This surprise move makes the already complicated negotiations even messier, involving TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, the U.S. government, and other companies that might want to buy the app.

According to the New York Post, Amazon’s bid came just days before an important deadline, but key people involved in the talks don’t seem to be taking it seriously. Amazon’s offer was reportedly sent in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a time when no one was sure what would happen to TikTok in the U.S. The timing is important because the Trump administration had set a fast-approaching deadline for ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations or risk being banned.

So far, Amazon hasn’t shared any details about how much money they’re offering, and they’ve refused to comment on the situation. Amazon’s sudden interest is especially interesting because of the reported close relationship between Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, and President Trump. This adds a political twist to an already tricky deal.

Amazon trying to outbid TikTok from US

Amazon isn’t the only company that is trying to buy TikTok. As reported by NBC, Other bidders include AppLovin, a mobile technology company, and a group led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely. Everyone wants TikTok because of its huge number of users and strong position in the market.

The Trump administration has proposed a complicated plan for how a TikTok sale could work. Under this plan, a group of U.S. investors—possibly including big names like Andreessen Horowitz and Blackstone Group—would own about 50% of a new company called “TikTok America.”

ByteDance would keep a 19.9% stake, staying just under the 20% limit that would trigger strict U.S. laws about Chinese ownership. Current U.S. investors in ByteDance would also keep a share of the company. Oracle, which already works with TikTok on cloud computing, would take on a bigger role, making sure the app’s algorithms are secure and managing data for U.S. users.

However, not everyone agrees with this plan. Some lawmakers, like Senator Tom Cotton, worry that China would still have too much influence over TikTok, even after a sale. These concerns are part of a bigger debate about national security, with fears that the Chinese government could access data from TikTok’s millions of American users or influence the app. The Trump administration insists that their proposed deal follows the rules set by Congress for a proper sale, but not everyone is convinced.

The April 5 deadline is putting pressure on all sides. President Trump could extend the deadline if no deal is reached, something he has mentioned as a possibility. Right now, the outcome is still unclear as the President looks at different proposals and thinks about what he wants to do.