WASHINGTON-Former President Donald Trump indicated Sunday that Lachlan Murdoch and the Murdoch family are likely to be involved in a potential deal to acquire TikTok, adding another layer of complexity to the long-stalled negotiations. The revelation came during an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” where Trump offered details in an uncertain manner, stating, “A man named lachlan is involved…I think they’re going to be in the group.”
The potential involvement of the Murdochs, who own news Corp, marks a critically important advancement in the ongoing saga surrounding the future of the popular social media platform. Trump also mentioned Oracle CEO Larry ellison and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell as potential players in the deal.Ellison, who has close ties to Trump dating back to his first governance, and his son also hold a ample stake in Paramount, which is reportedly shifting towards a more Trump-aligned news direction, including discussions to bring in Bari Weiss. Dell’s inclusion is a more recent development, coinciding with his public support for some of Trump’s policies.
Notably absent from Trump’s comments were Marc Andreessen and his venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and silver Lake, both previously reported by the wall Street Journal as expected participants. Trump did allude to other unnamed “really great people, very prominent people” also being involved.
The potential partnership with the Murdochs is notably noteworthy given the strained relationship between Trump and Rupert Murdoch. While the Wall street Journal, owned by Murdoch, has extensively reported on Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and the two are currently engaged in a lawsuit over the Journal’s reporting, they recently traveled together to the united Kingdom, signaling a complex dynamic.
Analysts suggest Murdoch’s interest in TikTok stems from the need to reach a younger audience, as his media conglomerate currently relies heavily on the older demographic that watches Fox News. TikTok would provide a platform to disseminate conservative content to a new generation.
