According to The New York Times, Amazon made a last-minute offer to buy the popular video-sharing app TikTok on Wednesday. The bid comes just days before an April 5 deadline to find a non-Chinese buyer before the app is banned in the United States.
The report also notes that Amazon’s offer letter was addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. Despite Amazon’s name recognition, sources say that people involved in the talks aren’t taking Amazon’s offer seriously.
Amazon is one of many potential buyers that have thrown their hats into the ring in recent days. Just last month, President Donald Trump claimed that his administration was “dealing with four different groups” that wanted to buy the platform.
President Trump signed an executive order on January 20 delaying the enforcement of the law that would have banned TikTok. He directed the attorney general “to permit my administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action with respect to TikTok.” As a result, the app was only down for a few hours in the US.
That 75-day delay comes to an end on April 5, 2025.
President Trump is set to hold an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday to discuss TikTok, a White House official told Reuters on Wednesday. One way or another, this saga will seemingly come to a conclusion before the end of the week.
