Murdoch is part of a group of US investors, including Trump’s allies, and is about to take over Tiktok’s US business.
Released on September 21, 2025
US President Donald Trump said media executive Lachlan Murdoch will join a group of American investors seeking to control Tiktok’s operations in the US.
In an interview at the Fox News program’s briefing on Sunday, Trump said the proposed transaction would transfer Tiktok’s American assets from the Chinese parent company’s ordinance to US ownership. He described the people involved as well as prominent people and “American patriots.”
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“I think they’re going to do a really good job,” Trump said. Tiktok added that it helped expand support among younger voters during the 2024 election campaign.
One of the proposed investors, Larry Ellison, co-founder of high-tech company Oracle, is a well-known Republican donor. Lachlan Murdoch’s father Rupert has supported right-wing causes and political parties for decades, but has complicated ties with Trump, who is now suing him.
The initiative will impact Trump’s allies in American companies against a platform with around 170 million US users, one of the most widely used apps shaping political and cultural debates.
Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corp, recently consolidated the integrated dominance of his family’s media empire, including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. Trump said 94-year-old Rupert Murdoch himself could also be involved in the deal.
Murdoch’s media outlets attract right-leaning viewers, but occasionally clashed with Trump. The US president’s lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal was a honour-defeaturing report in July, linking him to late investor and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The newspaper defended the report.
Other business figures Trump has appointed include Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies. Michael Dell, along with Ellison, previously led to discussions about Tiktok’s future.
The US law was passed under the control of former US President Joe Biden, and requires Operation Tiktok to be sold as both Democrats and Republicans support the law due to security concerns that Beijing can access data from American users.
However, Tiktok’s spotlight is also linked to growing support for Palestinians and opposition to Israel among young Americans, with many pro-Israeli politicians denounce the responsibility of changing tides that are popular apps.
Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the ban on Tiktok shortly after Israel’s war on Gaza began, calling the app biased against anti-Israel content.
Trump had proposed banning Tiktok during his first term in August 2020 when he signed two executive orders aimed at restricting the app. However, the US President made a U-turn and pledged to “save” the popular app during the 2024 reelection campaign.
The Trump administration has since linked negotiations with Tiktok with broader trade talks with China.
China has consistently denied claims by US lawmakers that Beijing puts pressure on apps like Tiktok to collect state personal information.
