United States President Donald Trump has officially signed an executive order outlining a comprehensive divestment plan for ByteDance’s popular short-video application, TikTok. This pivotal order mandates the transfer of control or the sale of ByteDance’s significant U.S. assets to a new consortium of American investors, notably including software giant Oracle.
Reported by Al Jazeera, the executive order was formally signed by President Trump on Thursday, September 25, 2025, within the historic confines of the Oval Office. It establishes a stringent 120-day timeframe for the full execution of the TikTok divestment. This critical move aims to satisfy existing U.S. legislation compelling China-based ByteDance to divest its American holdings, thereby averting a potential nationwide ban or block of the immensely popular app.
A law previously enacted by Congress had initially set a January deadline for the sale, a deadline President Trump has notably extended four times—specifically in February, April, June, and as recently as last week. These delays were reportedly made to ensure the continued operation of the highly popular short-video application. Reflecting on the process during the Oval Office signing, Vice President JD Vance stated, “There was some pushback from the Chinese side, but the fundamental thing we want to achieve is we want TikTok to remain operational, but we also want to make sure that we protect the data privacy of American citizens as required by law.”
While the President did not elaborate on the specific intricacies of the deal, Vice President Vance did confirm that Oracle stands as a key investor in this monumental transaction. Furthermore, he alluded to the involvement of media magnate Rupert Murdoch and technology billionaire Michael Dell as prospective investors, although no specific details regarding their precise roles or the extent of their involvement were disclosed.
Fundamentally, the White House has asserted its commitment to ensuring that all U.S. user data will be securely managed and controlled exclusively by American investors. Vance further revealed that the entire deal is valued at an estimated USD 14 billion, which translates to approximately IDR 234 trillion.
Sources familiar with the agreement, speaking to Reuters, indicated that three distinct investors—Oracle, MGX, and private equity firm Silver Lake—are collectively poised to acquire approximately a 50 percent stake in TikTok U.S. Expanding on this, CNBC had reported earlier on Thursday that these three investors would ultimately form a combined 45 percent ownership. Bloomberg news agency corroborated this information, specifying that each of these investors is expected to hold a 15 percent share in the company.
Crucially, ByteDance itself will retain less than a 20 percent stake in TikTok U.S. This adherence aligns with the strict mandates outlined in the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), which was enacted on April 24, 2024. Notably, MGX, identified as an artificial intelligence investment company and partner of Silver Lake, operates under the purview of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ national security advisor and brother to President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The White House has confirmed it will unveil the complete list of investors in the coming days. However, the involvement of Larry Ellison of Oracle has already sparked concerns among experts who spoke to Al Jazeera. They suggest that Ellison, known as a significant ally of President Trump, could potentially lead to a distortion of TikTok’s content, aligning it with Trump’s political perspectives.
The White House had previously dismissed such speculations, telling Al Jazeera that this viewpoint was “very delusional.” Addressing reporters’ inquiries about whether content under the new ownership would shift to reflect his views, the President assured that every perspective would be treated with fairness and impartiality.
Summary
United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order mandating ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok assets within 120 days. This critical move aims to satisfy U.S. legislation, prevent a nationwide ban, and protect American user data privacy. The deal is valued at an estimated USD 14 billion, with software giant Oracle confirmed as a key investor.
A consortium including Oracle, MGX, and Silver Lake is set to collectively acquire approximately 45-50 percent of TikTok U.S., while ByteDance will retain less than a 20 percent stake to comply with the PAFACA act. Although concerns were raised about potential content distortion due to investor affiliations, the White House dismissed these, affirming that content would be treated with fairness and impartiality.