Emmanuel OchayiElon Musk has dismissed speculation that he is interested in acquiring TikTok, the social media platform facing scrutiny in the United States due to national security concerns over its Chinese owner, ByteDance.
Speaking at a conference in Germany last month, Musk made his first public comments on the matter, stating clearly that he had not placed a bid for TikTok and had no intention of doing so.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“I have not put in a bid for TikTok. I don’t have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” Musk said.
Musk’s remarks were published by Die Welt on Saturday, marking the first time he publicly addressed the rumors. He also noted that he does not use the app personally and prefers to build companies from the ground up rather than acquire existing ones.
TikTok’s Future in the U.S.Remains Uncertain
Musk’s statement comes as TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain. ByteDance has publicly refused to sell the app, despite ongoing political and legal pressure. Some prospective buyers hope that a Supreme Court ruling in favor of a national security law—one that could force ByteDance to sell or shut down its U.S. operations—might change the company’s stance.
However, any sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations would also require approval from the Chinese government. China has made it clear that it is against a forced sale, complicating efforts to resolve the situation.
READ ALSO: Why Chinese Govt May Sell TikTok To Elon Musk — Report
Elon Musk Speaks on AI Competition
During the interview, Musk also discussed the rise of artificial intelligence competitors, particularly DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot launched in January. DeepSeek has drawn attention for providing high-performance AI models at significantly lower costs, raising concerns among tech investors and industry leaders like Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
“Is it some AI revolution? No, it is not,” Musk said. “xAI and others will soon be releasing models that are better than DeepSeek.”
Musk’s AI company, xAI, has been working on new models that aim to challenge industry leaders. He has repeatedly emphasised the importance of developing AI safely and efficiently.
Elon Musk Pushes for Government Efficiency
The billionaire also weighed in on regulatory policies, calling for a “Department of Government Efficiency” to streamline bureaucratic processes. He argued that governments should focus on reducing unnecessary regulations that slow down innovation and economic growth.
“The cleansing process for getting rid of nonsensical regulations is war. We prefer not to have war. In the absence of war, you have to have something like what we’ve formed in the U.S.,” Musk said.
Musk also defended U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs as a strategy to push for international cooperation on economic policies. He suggested that Germany and other countries could benefit from similar approaches to improve regulatory efficiency.
Elon Musk’s Focus Remains on Building Companies
Elon Musk has built a reputation for creating and leading some of the most influential companies in the world, including Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. His comments about TikTok reinforce his preference for starting companies rather than acquiring existing businesses.
While speculation about Musk buying TikTok continues, his statement makes it clear that he is not interested in pursuing the deal. His focus remains on innovation in AI, space exploration, and electric vehicles.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
