Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and a prominent advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, has confirmed he has no interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations. In comments released Saturday, Musk clarified his stance during a video appearance at a German forum in late January.
“I’ve not put in a bid for TikTok, nor do I have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” Musk stated.
The comments come as TikTok faces growing pressure in the U.S. due to concerns over national security and data privacy, with lawmakers pushing for the app to be either sold by its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or banned outright in the country.
While President Trump had previously expressed interest in Musk buying TikTok, Musk reiterated his disinterest in the platform. “I don’t use TikTok personally, so I’m not that familiar with it,” he said. “I’m not chomping at the bit to acquire TikTok.”
Musk, who acquired Twitter (now rebranded X) for $44 billion in 2022, said he bought the social media platform to protect “free speech.” Since his acquisition, X has faced criticism from rights groups for an increase in hate speech and disinformation on the platform.
A key backer of Trump’s presidential campaign, Musk has also been leading the former president’s efforts to slash the federal budget through his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). The initiative has targeted various government agencies, aiming to reduce staff, particularly those whose political views don’t align with Trump’s agenda.
On Saturday, a U.S. judge issued an emergency order preventing Musk’s reform team from accessing sensitive data from the Treasury Department, including personal and financial information of millions of Americans.
During the forum in Germany, Musk also criticized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, calling them “simply racism rebranded” and asserting his opposition to both racism and sexism, regardless of the target.
Musk’s remarks on DEI come as U.S. officials work to dismantle such programs in federal agencies. Meanwhile, in Germany, Musk has openly supported the far-right, anti-immigration AfD party, a stance that has stirred controversy in a country sensitive to its Nazi past.
