Amazon and OnlyFans Founder Join Bidding War for TikTok as US Deadline Nears

With the U.S. deadline for TikTok to secure a non-Chinese buyer looming, major players are entering the race. Amazon and a separate group led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely are the latest contenders vying for ownership of the popular short-video app.

TikTok has until April 5 to finalize a sale or face a potential ban in the United States due to ongoing national security concerns tied to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. While TikTok and ByteDance deny these allegations, U.S. officials remain firm on divestment demands.

Stokely’s startup Zoop, backed by a cryptocurrency foundation, has joined the fray with a late-stage proposal. Meanwhile, Amazon has confirmed its interest via a formal letter sent to top U.S. officials, though the tech giant declined to comment publicly.

Amazon shares rose 2% after news of its bid broke. The company has long sought to expand its reach into social media, acquiring Twitch and Goodreads in past years, and experimenting with a TikTok-style feature called Inspire.

Other bidders include private equity firm Blackstone, U.S. investors like Oracle, and Andreessen Horowitz, who are exploring ways to buy out ByteDance’s Chinese stakeholders and form a U.S.-based TikTok entity with less than 20% Chinese ownership—complying with new U.S. regulations.

The urgency follows a 2024 law demanding ByteDance divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban. Despite rising interest, some insiders reportedly question the seriousness of Amazon’s last-minute move.

TikTok’s future remains uncertain, with half of Americans regularly using the app and pressure mounting in Washington to finalize a secure ownership structure.