David Bridges
Key Highlights
- Involvement: Donald Trump indicated that Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan may be part of the American investors looking to acquire TikTok.
- Deal Uncertainty: Trump’s comments about the Murdochs being involved were vague, raising questions about the certainty of the acquisition.
- Other Investors: Larry Ellison and Michael Dell are also believed to be involved in the negotiations for TikTok’s purchase.
- Media Strategy: Murdoch’s interest in TikTok may stem from a desire to reach a younger audience beyond his traditional media outlets.
The details keep trickling in on the American takeover of TikTok, though whether they actually provide clarity or just muddy the waters further is debatable. The latest tidbit offered by Donald Trump: Conservative media magnate Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan might be a part of the group of American investors who will be buying the social media platform from Chinese ownership at ByteDance.
In an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” the president offered details in about the least certain way imaginable. First, he said, “A man named Lachlan is involved.” Luckily, there aren’t that many Lachlans with access to “Buying TikTok” money, but Trump did specify that he was indeed speaking of Lachlan Murdoch. He went on to say that the Murdoch men are “probably gonna be in the group,” then said, “I think they’re going to be in the group.” Sounds like a sure thing on a deal that has been short on details for some time now.
Trump lumped the Murdochs in with some other players who are believed to be involved in the deal to buy TikTok, including Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell. Ellison has been the most consistent name tied with the American-ized TikTok, and he’s had close ties to Trump dating back to his first administration. Ellison and his son also own a huge stake in Paramount, which has been rapidly turning CBS into a Trump-aligned news network, including reportedly preparing a major deal to bring in Bari Weiss. Michael Dell is a newer name in the mix, but perhaps not a surprising one given that the CEO has been talking up some of Trump’s policies in recent months.
Trump didn’t make specific mention of Marc Andreessen or his venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, nor investment firm Silver Lake, both of which the Wall Street Journal previously reported were expected to be involved in buying TikTok. He did say there were others involved, who Trump described as “really great people, very prominent people.”
The involvement of the Murdochs is certainly of note, though. Trump and Rupert Murdoch haven’t been on the greatest of terms, given that the Wall Street Journal, owned by Murdoch, has been leading the way in reporting on Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The two are currently involved in a lawsuit over the Journal’s reporting, but they also recently traveled to the United Kingdom together and have a much longer history than just this current spat.
It’s not hard to imagine why Murdoch wants in on the deal: his media conglomerate currently counts primarily on the extremely old audience that watches Fox News. TikTok provides an opportunity to serve his preferred brand of conservative slop to a younger generation.
Brandon Fletcher
