S Panda 
Initially published by Bloomberg, a report recently suggested that China might sell social media giant TikTok’s US assets to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. It ignited a storm among netizens. But TikTok later dismissed the report as “pure fiction”.
The report indicated that China is exploring a scenario that featured Musk’s X platform assuming control of TikTok’s US operations. This consideration depended on if the US Supreme Court upheld a potential ban on TikTok unless its US assets are sold by January 19.
One of the richest YouTubers, MrBeast, has also joined the discussions as he noted in a post on X: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.” Reportedly, US national security concerns remain at the forefront of the issue.
The Biden administration has stressed that TikTok could be used for espionage or political manipulation. Interestingly, US President-elect Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay its decision on the ban. He is returning to office on January 20.
