Axel Springer proposed TikTok EU buyout to US diplomats, FT reports
Axel Springer floated a potential acquisition of TikTok’s European operations to US diplomats in Berlin last January, but parent company ByteDance dismissed the overture, according to reporting by Investing.com based on an initial account by the Financial Times. Mathias Döpfner raised the prospect of restructuring the short-video platform’s ownership during a meeting with Charles Kushner, the US ambassador to France. His interlocutor was Charles Kushner, US ambassador in France and father of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US Donald Trump.
Evaluating European TikTok Assets
The outreach followed a structural blueprint similar to TikTok’s US adjustments, which involved carving out operations into a joint venture valued at 14 billion dollars under Oracle’s leadership, as detailed by Investing.com. Döpfner suggested that shifting TikTok toward democratic ownership structures could mitigate national security vulnerabilities tied to its Chinese parentage. The proposal subsequently reached representatives of the European Commission, though it gained little traction. ByteDance countered these assertions by stating that no formal negotiations regarding an acquisition ever took place. The TikTok parent company ByteDance rejected the plans and explained that no formal talks concerning a takeover had occurred.
Axel Springer acknowledged an ongoing institutional interest in resolving questions surrounding TikTok’s continental footprint. Axel Springer confirmed the interest in finding a solution for TikTok in Europe, according to the report. The publisher operates a broad media portfolio that includes Bild, Die Welt, Politico, and The Telegraph. A stake in the European business would represent an attempt to bring about a change in the ownership structure rather than merely restricting European users’ access to the platform. Despite those international media assets, the European Commission did not formally pursue the ownership restructuring plan brought forward during the January discussions.
ByteDance Rejects Forced Sale of European Operations
The meeting between Döpfner and Ambassador Kushner originally convened to address online antisemitism, bringing together political figures and media executives. While Axel Springer sought a mechanism to separate European operations from foreign oversight, ByteDance rejected the premise of a forced sale for the region. The Chinese owner had previously completed an agreement establishing a majority US-owned entity for domestic American operations, yet no comparable framework materialized across European member states.