In a recent interview with Fox News, former President Donald Trump indicated that Lachlan Murdoch and his father, Rupert Murdoch, may be part of a consortium of American investors looking to acquire the U.S. version of the popular video-sharing platform TikTok. Trump described the potential investor group as comprising “really great people, very prominent people,” although he did not provide further specifics.
According to insiders, while the Murdochs might not invest personally, it’s possible that financial involvement could come through Fox Corporation, where Lachlan serves as chairman and CEO. The urgency around the potential acquisition has been heightened by Trump’s decision to extend the deadline for TikTok’s parent company, China-based ByteDance, to secure a buyer. Failure to do so could result in the platform being banned from U.S. app stores.
The evolving landscape of this acquisition includes significant players such as private equity firms Andreessen Horowitz and Silver Lake, with tech giant Oracle, led by Larry Ellison, contributing technological expertise.
Moreover, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that if the deal proceeds, American investors will hold six of the seven board seats for the U.S. version of TikTok, ensuring that control of the platform’s algorithm remains in U.S. hands.
Lachlan Murdoch, in his capacity as chairman of News Corp, which owns Barron’s, is a notable figure in the media landscape, and his potential involvement in this deal further underscores the significant crossover between media interests and technology in today’s investment climate.
