A potential TikTok ban has been looming in the United States, setting social media ablaze with rumors and speculation about the app’s future.
Under the current mandate, TikTok must be sold by parent company ByteDance by January 19, 2025 to a non-Chinese owner in order to avoid being banned. With no official deal in sight, many TikTok users and influencers are now left in limbo.
However, one rumor has recently taken the internet by storm — that the Kardashian-Jenner family is allegedly planning to buy TikTok to save it from the U.S. ban.
The claim originated from a TikTok post by user @nevrcrd, who declared: “The Kardashians just posted everywhere that they’re buying TikTok so that American people could still have TikTok. The Kardashians are planning to buy it on January 1, 2025.”
Another TikTok user fueled the frenzy with a video suggesting that North West, the 11-year-old daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, played a pivotal role. The mother-daughter duo share a joint TikTok account where they post various content, including skincare routines and daily activities.
“North West wanted TikTok to stay so bad that she convinced her mom to buy TikTok,” he claimed. “I hope this s*** is true.”
Despite the viral buzz, there has been no evidence to support these claims. Neither the Skims founder nor her famous family members have announced plans to purchase TikTok, and they have yet address the rumors.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Kim Kardashian for comment.
Nevertheless, the rumors have sparked both amusement and confusion online. “Do the Kardashians know this?” joked one TikToker.
“She’s about to turn everybody’s comments off,” someone else quipped.
“I just want to personally thank North West,” a third user wrote.
Although Kim Kardashian is the wealthiest member of the Kardashian family, she still doesn’t have the financial resources to bid for the platform. The 44-year-old has an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion — primarily driven by the success of her shapewear brand Skims, which was valued at $4 billion in 2023 — but her fortune is much smaller than TikTok’s overall value.
The platform’s worth was estimated at $50 billion in 2020 and has risen to as much as $100 billion by 2024. Its parent company, ByteDance, was valued at approximately $300 billion as of late 2024.
The Kardashians may lack the financial capability to acquire TikTok, but the platform has still drawn interest from several high-profile entities over the years.
Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart were previously floated as potential buyers during TikTok’s last legal showdown under the first Trump administration. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella later revealed that TikTok had approached the company to explore a deal, signaling the platform’s proactive search for viable ownership solutions. Oracle and Walmart also made headlines with their collaborative bid, though negotiations ultimately stalled.
Billionaire Frank McCourt has most recently emerged as a potential buyer. He aims to secure $20 billion through his Project Liberty initiative, which seeks to create an alternative ownership structure for TikTok involving significant American investors.
Meanwhile, former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has been quietly linked to acquisition discussions, though little information about his involvement has been made public.
With more than one billion active users worldwide, TikTok has become a prominent social media platform widely used as a marketing tool by brands, a creative outlet for individuals, and a hub of digital youth culture. The app’s operations in the U.S. have faced uncertainty, however, due to concerns over data privacy, national security, and ByteDance’s connections to China.
