Amazon submitted a last-minute offer to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations as the Chinese-owned app faces an April deadline to divest or risk a ban, according to a report.
The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, said multiple parties involved in the discussions are not taking Amazon’s bid seriously. The offer was made via a letter to U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a person briefed on the matter said.
Other potential investors include Oracle and Blackstone, according to the report.
Amazon and TikTok have not commented on the report.
Amazon previously launched a TikTok-like feature, Inspire, but later removed it from the app store.
TikTok insists it is not for sale, citing possible Chinese government opposition. The company has 170 million U.S. users and remains a major player in digital commerce.
The Amazon move comes amid negotiations in Washington on TikTok’s ownership. U.S. lawmakers have raised national security concerns about the app’s ties to China, leading to a law that was passed last year mandating its sale. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the legislation, though Trump delayed its enforcement until Saturday.
