Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on September 25, 2025, formally approving a deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. while shifting control of its U.S. business to American investors. The move averts a threatened national ban tied to concerns over the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Under the new arrangement, the U.S. version of TikTok is valued at $14 billion, according to Vice President J.D. Vance. The executive order delays enforcement of the statutory ban for 120 days, giving space for the spin-off deal to be finalized.
The restructuring mandates that American investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake among others, take majority control of TikTok’s U.S. operations. ByteDance will retain a minority stake, capped below 20%. Oracle is expected to oversee data and algorithm management for U.S. users.
Trump stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping gave the green light for the deal, while emphasizing the shift to “American-operated all the way.”
Critics say the agreement raises lingering questions about whether it truly severs foreign influence, given that algorithm licensing and operational complexities remain unresolved. Some also flag concerns about overlapping interests among political and business allies in the new ownership structure.
Even as details get hammered out, the executive order represents a major pivot in the TikTok saga — preserving its presence in the U.S. while dramatically reorganizing its ownership to satisfy national security demands.
