With the clock ticking toward an April 5 deadline, Amazon has reportedly submitted a last-minute bid to purchase TikTok‘s U.S. operations, throwing its hat into an already contentious and high-stakes race to acquire the wildly popular short-form video app.
The offer, revealed by The New York Times, was reportedly sent in the form of an official letter addressed to U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Three sources close to the discussions confirmed Amazon’s involvement, though insiders also hinted that the bid might not be taken seriously by key decision-makers within the negotiation process.
Mounting pressure and political stakes
TikTok, owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is facing a ban in the United States unless it secures a U.S.-based buyer by Saturday, April 5.
The app, which boasts over 170 million users in the U.S., was briefly inaccessible back on January 19 when a national security law took effect. However, access was quickly restored after President Donald Trump issued an executive order delaying the ban for 75 days, providing TikTok with a lifeline to explore acquisition options.
Since then, the app has found itself in a political tug-of-war. Trump, who remains deeply involved in the issue, is expected to meet with advisors on Wednesday to discuss TikTok’s fate.
He has expressed both urgency and flexibility, stating that a deal will be made by the deadline, but also suggesting he would “probably” extend the timeline if necessary.
Interestingly, Trump has floated the idea that the U.S. government should receive a 50 percent stake in TikTok as part of any potential deal, a proposition that would mark a highly unconventional requirement in a commercial acquisition. He’s also indicated that he would like to play a role in brokering the deal.
A growing list of suitors
Amazon’s entry into the fray adds another major name to a growing list of prospective buyers. Earlier reports had suggested that Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is backing a separate bid, while Microsoft has also expressed interest in acquiring the platform. President Trump himself confirmed Microsoft’s involvement, although details remain scarce.
Despite the flurry of activity, there remains substantial uncertainty around ByteDance’s willingness to actually part with TikTok’s U.S. operations.
With so much at stake-ranging from user data security to political optics and international relations-any deal would need to thread a very fine needle.
Not only would ByteDance have to agree to a sale, but the deal would also have to gain approval from multiple U.S. government entities.
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