The private capital firm Blackstone is evaluating a small minority investment in American Tiktok operations, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Blackstone is considering joining the non -Chinese shareholders of the Chinese parent company Bytedance, led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, in a commitment to the American business of Tiktok. The group has positioned itself as one of the favorites.
Its proposal implies spitting American Tiktok operations in a separate entity and diluting Chinese property in the new business below the 20% threshold required by US law.
Tiktok, General Atlantic and Blackstone declined to comment. Susquehanna did not respond to a request for comments.
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The destination of the application used by almost half of all Americans has been in the air since a law, approved last year with an overwhelming bipartisan support, required that bytedance would get rid of Tiktok before January 19 or face a prohibition for reasons of national security.
Tiktok disappeared briefly in the United States in January after the Supreme Court confirmed the prohibition, but returned to life days later, once the US president, Donald Trump, assumed the position and postponed the application of the law until April 5.
Trump has said that he could extend that period even more and has suggested a possible reduction of tariffs to China to try to close an agreement. The American vice president, JD Vance, said he hopes that the general terms of an agreement that resolves the property of the application will be reached before the deadline of April.
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Bytedance and its investors have not revealed how much new investment it would be necessary to buy shares of Chinese shareholders and comply with the requirements of US law.
With Reuters information
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