Larry Ellison and Michael Dell are also expected to join the board of the popular Chinese app
US media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan are likely to join a group of investors set to take over TikTok’s American operations, US President Donald Trump has said.
He also named Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell as part of the deal, which aims to prevent the popular Chinese video-sharing app from being banned in the US.
In an interview with Fox News’ ‘The Sunday Briefing’ aired on the weekend, Trump described the prospective investors as prominent people and “American patriots.”
“They’re very well-known people. Larry Ellison is one of them. He’s involved. This great guy, Michael Dell is involved. I hate to tell you this, but a man named Lachlan is involved. Do you know who Lachlan is? That’s a very unusual name, Lachlan Murdoch,” the president said. He added that Rupert Murdoch is “probably going to be in the group.”
The disclosure follows a framework deal reached last week between Washington and Beijing, intended to keep TikTok operational in the US. The app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has been under a nationwide ban since January 19, 2025, after its parent company missed a divestiture deadline. Lawmakers argued that user data could be accessed by Beijing, potentially enabling surveillance or influence campaigns.
Trump postponed the ban several times while talks with China continued. The most recent deadline was September 17. Under the expected arrangement, TikTok’s US assets would be majority-owned by domestic investors and overseen by a board with national security credentials. ByteDance would reportedly retain less than 20% of the venture.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the deal would ensure that “TikTok will be majority-owned by Americans in the United States.”
A spokesperson for the White House did not clarify whether Lachlan Murdoch would take a board seat. NBC News said he would not be directly involved, though Fox Corp. could play a role. Earlier this month, Lachlan Murdoch formally assumed control of Fox Corp. and News Corp., while Rupert Murdoch remains central to the family’s media empire.
