Elon Musk has publicly stated that he has no intention of acquiring TikTok, the popular short-video platform facing scrutiny in the United States over national security concerns related to its Chinese ownership. Musk made these comments at the WELT Economic Summit in Germany on January 28, in response to speculation about his potential interest in the app. The tech billionaire and owner of X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, and SpaceX, emphasized that he has not made a bid for TikTok and does not have any plans to buy the app. Musk's remarks come amid growing uncertainty regarding TikTok's future in the U.S., where lawmakers and regulators have raised concerns about potential data sharing with the Chinese government.

In his statement, Musk admitted that he is not a personal user of TikTok and is unfamiliar with the platform's format. He said, "I don't have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok". He also stated, "I'm not eager to acquire TikTok". Musk contrasted a potential TikTok acquisition with his purchase of Twitter, which he said was motivated by a desire to "preserve freedom of speech in America". He said he was unsure if the same logic would apply to TikTok, stating that the only reasons he sees for a potential acquisition would be economic. Musk has emphasized that he typically builds companies from scratch, and that his acquisition of Twitter was an exception to his usual business practices.

Speculation about Musk's interest in TikTok arose due to the U.S. government's efforts to address national security concerns associated with the app's Chinese owner, ByteDance. Previously, there were reports that Chinese officials had discussed the possibility of selling TikTok to Musk to avoid a ban in the United States. According to these reports, the proposal involved Musk's X taking over TikTok's U.S. operations. However, TikTok has denied these reports, calling the idea of a Musk sale "pure fiction". U.S. lawmakers have given ByteDance a deadline to resolve the security concerns or face a potential ban in the U.S.

Musk's decision not to pursue TikTok comes as a relief to some observers who were concerned about the potential implications of his ownership. His acquisition of Twitter has been met with controversy, and some analysts feared that his involvement with TikTok could lead to similar issues. Musk himself acknowledged the difficulties associated with his purchase of Twitter, calling it "difficult" and "quite painful". He also said that he does not acquire companies "just for economic reasons," suggesting that he would need a compelling strategic rationale to justify a bid for TikTok.