The TikTok sale is officially happening, with a consortium of American investors set to take over U.S. operations of the video platform next month on Jan. 22, 2026.
The deal means that TikTok, the fast-growing social video platform that upended the strategies of competitors like YouTube and Meta Platforms Inc., will have a new joint venture owner in the U.S.: TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.
The new U.S. operations of TikTok will have three “managing investors” that will collectively own 45 percent of the company: Oracle Corporation, Silver Lake, and MGX (Abu Dhabi’s state investment firm). Another 5 percent will be owned by other new investors, 30.1 percent will be “held by affiliates of certain existing investors of ByteDance; and 19.9 percent will be retained by ByteDance.”
TikTok CEO Shou Chew revealed the update in a memo to staff Thursday, a copy of which was viewed by The Hollywood Reporter.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued dedication and tireless work. Your efforts keep us operating at the highest level and will ensure that TikTok continues to grow and thrive in the U.S. and around the world,” Chew wrote. “With these agreements in place, our focus must stay where it’s always been—firmly on delivering for our users, creators, businesses and the global TikTok community.”
President Trump signed an executive order sealing the TikTok deal in September, though details on the transaction were scarce at the time. Trump previously indicated that the Murdochs, through Fox Corp., could be a part of the ownership group. It is not clear if they are part of the investors in the remaining 5% of the company.
The app has survived a bill that would have effectively banned it, with Trump signing executive orders to postpone the impact of the ban until a deal could be negotiated and signed.
Chew confirmed that the deal has officially been signed Thursday, laying out some terms of the deal, including “retraining the content recommendation algorithm on U.S. user data to ensure the content feed is free from outside manipulation,” Oracle overseeing data protection, and specifying that “ultimate decision-making authority for reviewing and approving all content moderation and related policies within the United States.”
Oracle and Silver Lake, of course, are no strangers to the entertainment business. Oracle founder Larry Ellison backed his son David Ellison’s effort to acquire Paramount, and is also involved in his attempt to secure Warner Bros. Discover, with his Oracle stake backstopping the deal.
Silver Lake, meanwhile, owns WME, and also has control of TKO Group Holdings, and partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to buy video game giant Electronic Arts in September.
