Trump claims the US is about to get a tremendous fee for taking TikTok out of China
Once again, the US government is stepping into the middle of a massive business deal. Trump claims the US is about to get a tremendous fee for taking TikTok out of China, raising eyebrows about how far Washington is willing to go in extracting value from global companies.
According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is “expected to collect a multibillion-dollar fee” in exchange for green-lighting a takeover of TikTok’s US business. This move highlights how the White House is treating the app not just as a security concern but also as a source of revenue.
Who pays the “tremendous fee”?
The fee won’t come from TikTok directly but from its American investors. Backers such as private equity firm Silver Lake and Oracle are expected to foot the bill as part of the new ownership structure. The group would reportedly end up with around half of TikTok’s US operations, while ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company in China, would still retain under 20 percent.
This arrangement positions the US government as an unusual middleman—one that is effectively charging American investors for the privilege of securing TikTok’s future in the US market.
Trump’s own words on the TikTok deal
Yesterday, Trump doubled down, saying, “The United States is getting a tremendous fee-plus, I call it a ‘fee-plus,’ just for making the deal.” The phrasing is classic Trump—bold, unclear, and meant to signal a win.
However, critics point out that it’s still not clear whether a TikTok deal has actually been finalized. The back-and-forth over TikTok’s future has been going on for months, and the situation remains murky.
What this means for TikTok’s future
While Trump claims the US is about to get a tremendous fee for taking TikTok out of China, the bigger question is what happens next. Will this arrangement secure TikTok’s future in the US, or will it spark even more tension with China?
For now, investors, TikTok users, and global tech companies are watching closely. The outcome could set a precedent for how Washington handles foreign-owned tech giants moving forward.
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