The bankers definitely want in despite this being a heavy lift because the fees on an estimated $20-plus billion deal could be pretty rich.

TikTok owner ByteDance is reportedly still searching for non-sale options to stay in the US after the Supreme Court upheld a national security law requiring that TikTok's US operations either be shut down or sold to a non-foreign adversary.

Numerous potential buyers, including PerplexityAI and the internet advocacy group, Project Liberty, have publicly stated their interest in the app.

Reports have identified potential buyers for TikTok, including Steven Mnuchin, Frank McCourt, and Kevin O'Leary of Shark Tank fame. In a Fox News interview, O'Leary clarified that Trump is acting as an advisor on the matter, not a potential buyer.

ByteDances valuation of TikTok at an impressive $200 billion presents a considerable challenge for potential buyers.

ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, has earmarked over 150 billion yuan ($20.64 billion) in capital expenditure for this year, much of which will be centred on artificial intelligence, two people briefed on the matter said.

Under the deal being negotiated by the White House, TikTok’s China-based owner, ByteDance, would retain a stake in the company, but data collection and software updates would be overseen by Oracle, which already provides the foundation of TikTok’s Web infrastructure, one of the sources told Reuters.

Last week, President Donald Trump paused TikTok's nationwide ban in the U.S., after the Supreme Court ordered it be shut down due to national security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. This could potentially enable Beijing to access user data and influence American users.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would be supportive of the world's richest man and his close aide, Elon Musk, buying TikTok "if he wanted to". Trump was asked if he would be open to the billionaire founder of Tesla buying the short-video platform facing a nationwide ban in the US after the Supreme Court last week upheld a law requiring TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent ByteDance.

Donald Trump is now being hailed as TikTok's savior after he tried to ban the app during his White House first term.

TikTok is considering alternative solutions to selling its US business, as owner ByteDance continues the fight to keep its 170 million American users after a reprieve from the Trump administration, a board member of ByteDance was quoted by Chinese magazine Caixin as saying.