In BriefPosted:5:44 PM PST January 13, 2025Image Credits:abin Botsford/The Washington Post / Getty ImagesChina is reportedly open to Elon Musk acquiring TikTok USChinese government officials have reportedly discussed a scenario where ByteDance sells TikToks United States arm to Elon Musk, should the Supreme Court uphold the law banning the app on January 19th. Bloomberg reports that China would strongly prefer for TikTok to stay under ByteDances ownership, but says government officials have considered a sale to Musk as part of a broader plan to work with incoming president Donald Trumps administration. In that scenario, Musks X would acquire TikTok US, effectively absorbing the vertical video platforms 170 million American users and billions in potential ad revenue.A TikTok spokesperson called the report pure fiction in a statement to Variety.The report states it is unclear how much ByteDance and TikTok know about Chinas discussions of a Musk sale, potentially highlighting Chinas alleged influence over the platform which brought about this law in the first place.Topics