As the April 5 deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations approaches, AI startup Perplexity has again expressed interest in acquiring the platform.
“All of society benefits when content feeds are liberated from the manipulations of foreign governments and globalist monopolists,” the company wrote in a blog post.
Perplexity did not share details on funding. While it seeks to raise money at an $18 billion valuation, TikTok’s US operations have been valued at up to $50 billion. Still, Perplexity claims it is “singularly positioned to rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly” and suggests open-sourcing the “For You” feed.
The company says its answer engine could enhance TikTok’s video library and improve search. One idea is to add citations to TikTok videos, letting users verify information in real time.
Several other parties are also bidding. A group led by Frank McCourt wants to move TikTok onto blockchain. In January, a potential deal backed by Oracle and investors was discussed, with ByteDance keeping a minority stake and Oracle handling data and updates. Wyoming entrepreneur Reid Rasner reportedly offered $47.45 billion.
Perplexity argued that investor-led deals might leave ByteDance in control, while competitor acquisitions could create monopolies. Elon Musk was previously rumored to be interested, though those reports were denied.
Perplexity had also submitted a bid ahead of the original January 19 deadline. President Trump extended that deadline by 75 days. This week, Vice President JD Vance said a deal could still be finalized on time.
