Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, aka “Mr. Wonderful,” offered a bold alternative for the future of the Communist Chinese government-tied app TikTok.
During the May 30 edition of Fox Business’ The Big Money Show, O’Leary laid out his plans for “Americanizing TikTok” and making it “wonderful again,” offering to buy the app with the help of crowdfunding investors. O’Leary told Fox Business, “I find this an extraordinary deal. It’s a legacy deal. It’s definitely one I want to do. And I think the opportunity is huge.”
O’Leary panned alternatives to his proposed solution, such as a recently revealed 2022 proposal by TikTok to offer a measure of control to the U.S. government. O’Leary rejected this plan as a “Chinese-style solution,” strongly opposing any plan that gives the government the ability to shut down an app over unapproved content.
O’Leary also rejected the idea that TikTok could win in court against a recently passed law that would either force the sale of TikTok or ban the app from the country. O’Leary said that the lawsuit would be unsuccessful “even at the Supreme Court.”
Instead, O’Leary pitched Fox Business viewers on his idea. “That's why those of us interested in buying it are starting the process now,” he said, before mentioning his website. “I've set up wondertiktok.com if you're interested in participating because I want to do crowd funding for all the millions of Americans that want to be part of this. But that won't be the majority of the money. It’s gonna come from sovereign wealth,” he said.
O’Leary warned listeners that getting permission from both President Joe Biden and the Chinese Communist Party for this deal would not be easy. However, O’Leary was not deterred. “I want to support Americanizing TikTok. I want to make TikTok wonderful again. That’s exactly what is going to happen if I do this deal.”
Prior to the Fox Business interview, O’Leary announced in a May 28 post on X that he has a plan to purchase the app. “The clock is ticking on TikTok. Congress has passed a law that gives it less than 270 days to sell to interests that are governed by US laws or be shut down,” O’Leary wrote. “I'd like to democratize TikTok and turn it into a platform where the user data is protected from the prying eyes of foreign adversaries. It's time to make TikTok WONDERFUL again. Want to be part of this?”
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