Who Owns a Piece of Tiktok? Inside Fox Corp’s Surprise Bid and the Murdochs' Power Play
The regulatory clampdown that forced ByteDance to entertain a domestic sale was neither sudden nor subtle. Federal lawmakers passed binding divestment legislation that forced ByteDance to either spin off TikTok’s domestic operations or face a nationwide ban. National security officials in Washington raised alarms for years over user data collection and foreign algorithmic influence. While ByteDance explored legal remedies in federal appellate courts, parallel tracks were laid behind closed doors to construct an American ownership syndicate.
The political winds shifted when Donald Trump entered the debate. In late September 2025, Trump told reporters that the Murdoch family was in active discussions to secure a seat at the table. Both the Wall Street Journal and the BBC confirmed that high-level communications placed Fox Corp squarely inside the running. For political strategists in Washington, embedding an established conservative-leaning media conglomerate provided regulatory reassurance. For Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, it offered an entry point into the most addictive distribution channel on earth.
