Move over Elon Musk—Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has entered the chat. Donaldson has reportedly joined a bid to buy TikTok’s US operations, teaming up with tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley, founder of employer.com.
The 26-year-old YouTube mogul, who earned $85 million last year and currently commands a small digital army of 346 million followers, isn’t just tweeting about saving TikTok from a potential ban—he’s putting his money (and some billionaires’ money) where his mouth is.
On January 13, Donaldson tweeted, “I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned,” and followed up with a TikTok post revealing he’s been chatting with a “bunch of billionaires” about making the idea a reality.
@mrbeast TikTok check your inbox 👀 @TikTok ♬ original sound – MrBeast
Shortly after, in another TikTok, he announced he was on a private jet on his way to meet with TikTok to put in an official offer for the platform. “I wish I could say more about the offer I’m putting in but I can’t right now, just know it’s gonna be crazy,” he said.
@mrbeastLet’s save TikTok from going down again 🫡
The bid, announced Tuesday by the law firm Paul Hastings, is led by Tinsley alongside a coalition of unnamed institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. MrBeast, however, is the star of the show. While the actual value of the offer remains a mystery, former President Donald Trump recently suggested TikTok could be worth as much as $1 trillion.
Known for wild YouTube stunts like buying out entire grocery stores and giving away private islands, MrBeast’s pivot to tech mogul isn’t entirely out of character. The internet icon has already built an empire through branding ventures such as MrBeast Burgers and Feastables snacks.
Still, seeing Donaldson step into the political-tech drama of TikTok’s fate feels like watching your favourite sitcom character wander into a gritty legal thriller.
Yet, it doesn’t seem to be all one big joke. With millions of followers on both YouTube and TikTok, Donaldson has a vested interest in the platform’s survival in the US, not just for personal branding but for the future of creator-driven social media.
Donaldson’s bold move comes as Trump floated the idea of TikTok being acquired by other US billionaires, including Elon Musk and Larry Ellison. Musk, owner of X and Tesla, and Ellison, Oracle’s founder, have yet to comment on whether they’ll take the plunge, though Trump has made it clear he’d be more than happy with either of them stepping up.
Ellison, in fact, was present at a Trump press conference this week where he said the proposed sale sounded like a “good deal”.
TikTok however, has remained tight-lipped on any deals calling the suggestion that Musk was considering a purchase of the company’s US operations “pure fiction”.
After briefly pulling TikTok offline ahead of a January 19 deadline, the platform’s parent company ByteDance reinstated the app following “assurance” from Trump and an executive order suspending enforcement of a sale law.
Could MrBeast’s bid actually succeed? The odds are murky, and the waters are choppy. With legal uncertainties, political tensions, and other billionaire suitors potentially entering the fray, Donaldson’s chances might hinge as much on his headline-grabbing star power as on his financial backing.
But if there’s one thing Donaldson has proven, it’s that he thrives on the improbable. Whether he’s delivering $1 million in cash to a random subscriber or orchestrating the internet’s most elaborate scavenger hunt, MrBeast lives for big, audacious challenges.
So, if anyone can turn TikTok’s fate into epic content, it’s him. Stay tuned for an “I Bought TikTok and Here’s What Happened,” video coming soon.
