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Perplexity has submitted a groundbreaking proposal regarding the merger of AI and TikTok, suggesting that the United States government could acquire up to 50% ownership of the newly formed entity.
The Associated Press was the first to report on the new plan. Our source has verified to Techjuice that the AP’s reporting is true regarding the deal.
Earlier, the AI search engine had suggested creating a new business with Perplexity, TikTok US, and other equity investors. The new proposal has the potential to keep ByteDance, the current Chinese owner of TikTok, as well as the government’s stake, after an initial public offering (IPO) of $300 million or more, as reported by the AP.
It has been reported that the offer by Perplexity was changed in response to comments made by the Trump administration.
Last weekend, ByteDance was compelled by law to sell TikTok or face its suspension in the US. As a result, the app had a momentary outage. It sprang to life again once Trump announced his intention to issue an executive order extending the selling deadline. Additionally, he expressed a desire for “50% ownership” of the United States, though it was unclear if he meant American investors or the government.
When questioned about the rumours, Trump stated that he has spoken to “many people about TikTok” but “not with Oracle.” Another rumour appeared this week suggesting that the White House was in contact to have Oracle, which now provides the infrastructure for TikTok’s U.S. traffic, take over.
