Elon Musk and his shut relationship with President-elect Donald Trump are seen as useful to TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who has reached out to the Tesla chief, in accordance with the Wall Avenue Journal.
The 2 have recognized one another a number of years. So regardless of proudly owning rival social media platform X, Musk was requested for his opinions on an array of points, together with the incoming Trump administration and potential tech coverage, after Chew initiated messages in current weeks, the report mentioned.
Whereas a Jan. 19 deadline looms for father or mother firm ByteDance to promote TikTok or face a U.S. ban, Musk and Chew didn’t talk about particular choices for TikTok to maintain working right here, sources instructed the Journal.
Nonetheless, Chew has been updating ByteDance executives on the discussions, and they’re cautiously optimistic on their U.S. prospects, the report added.
Representatives for TikTok and Tesla didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
After contributing greater than $100 million to assist elect Trump and stumping on the marketing campaign path for him, Musk has emerged as an influential figures in the course of the transition.
He has been on calls between Trump and overseas leaders, often appeared at Mar-a-Lago, and attended a UFC struggle with the president-elect final weekend. Trump has reciprocated and attended a SpaceX rocket launched this previous week.
Seemingly inseparable, Musk has been referred to as “first buddy” to Trump, a moniker that the tech billionaire fortunately embraced.
The traces of communication between Musk and Chew could possibly be crucial as ByteDance navigates the subsequent few months. A regulation that Congress handed and President Joe Biden signed into regulation in April requires the Chinese language firm to divest TikTok or be banned. It goes into impact on Jan. 19, the day earlier than Trump’s inauguration.
Whereas Trump tried to ban TikTok throughout his first time period, he opposed the regulation that was signed this 12 months. And sources instructed the Washington Submit this month that Trump will attempt to block a U.S. ban, fulfilling a marketing campaign pledge.
For now, he hasn’t provided any specifics on how he would do this. To totally reverse the regulation, Congress must cross one other invoice that Trump then indicators.
However consultants instructed ABC Information that Trump may additionally order his Justice Division to not implement the regulation at present on the books, as a substitute of passing a brand new regulation.
He may additionally assist craft a deal that places TikTok within the arms of a U.S. purchaser, although ByteDance has signaled opposition to that. The present regulation features a provision for a 90-day extension of the deadline if ByteDance is heading towards an settlement to promote TikTok.
For his half, Chew mentioned in April “we aren’t going anywhere,” and TikTok has sued, claiming the regulation violates free-speech rights. A federal appeals courtroom may render a call subsequent month.
