TikTok has officially completed a transformative ownership transaction that establishes a predominantly American-controlled entity, allowing the platform to continue serving its vast US user base without facing a nationwide ban. The Thursday announcement marks the end of a protracted dispute between Chinese and American interests over control of the popular video-sharing application.
The finalized structure significantly reduces ByteDance’s ownership position to 19.9%, while American investors collectively control 80.1% of the reorganized company. Larry Ellison’s Oracle Corporation stands as one of three major stakeholders with 15% ownership, alongside private equity leader Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s MGX investment fund, each also holding 15%. The billionaire Michael Dell’s investment firm contributes additional capital to the American ownership consortium.
This resolution stems from 2024 legislation that gave ByteDance an ultimatum: sell TikTok’s American operations or face a complete ban from US digital infrastructure. The law reflected growing bipartisan concern that the Chinese government could exploit the platform to collect intelligence on American citizens or influence public opinion through algorithmic manipulation. After the Supreme Court validated the ban in January 2025, President Trump used executive authority to pause implementation while brokers negotiated the current agreement.
Leadership of the American entity will be entrusted to Adam Presser, who previously managed global operations and safety initiatives for TikTok. The company will operate under the supervision of a seven-person board of directors, deliberately composed with an American majority and stocked with cybersecurity and national security professionals. The board will include Shou Chew, maintaining his involvement with the platform he has led globally.
The newly structured organization promises to implement rigorous safeguards specifically designed for American users, including advanced data protection systems, secure algorithm architecture, robust content moderation, and verified software integrity. Central to these protections is a commitment to completely retrain the content recommendation algorithm using only data generated by US users, with ongoing testing and refinement to ensure the system operates independently. Both American and Chinese government officials have reportedly approved the arrangement, though official Chinese embassy comment was not immediately available.