Trump says Lachlan Murdoch may join TikTok deal as US investors group forms
Trump names Lachlan Murdoch among potential participants with Ellison, Dell; Oracle to handle TikTok data and security; Americans to hold most board seats as negotiations extend toward Dec. 16 deadline.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Sunday that Lachlan Murdoch, the head of Fox Corp. and News Corp., could be part of a group of U.S. investors that would buy TikTok's U.S. operations. In an interview taped Friday for Fox News' The Sunday Briefing and aired Sunday, Trump said the group also includes tech magnates Larry Ellison and Michael Dell and would be led by prominent American investors. "I think they're going to be in the group," Trump said, adding that Rupert Murdoch could also be involved on the Fox side.
White House press secretary Karolina Leavitt said Ellison's company, Oracle, would handle TikTok's data and security, and that six of the seven seats on a planned board would be held by Americans. The comments, provided as part of discussions about the future of the app in U.S. hands, underscored a push to ensure U.S. control over data and governance as the deal moves forward.
A source familiar with the matter said Lachlan Murdoch's involvement would be on the Fox side. The remarks come as the parties work toward a resolution that would satisfy U.S. national-security concerns cited by the administration and lawmakers alike, including the need for robust data safeguards and oversight.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the TikTok deal during a Friday phone call, with officials from both countries moving toward a resolution. U.S. and Chinese officials have until Dec. 16 to finalize details before a deadline extension closes. The negotiations have included questions about ByteDance's divestiture and the structure of a U.S.-based governance board intended to oversee the app's operations in the United States.
The administration has repeatedly delayed the implementation of a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban in the United States on national-security grounds. The law has been postponed on four separate occasions as negotiators sought terms that would satisfy both U.S. security concerns and the interests of the tech-company's international owners.
The proceedings come amid intense scrutiny of the TikTok deal and the broader question of how American policymakers will handle apps tied to Chinese parent companies. The White House has signaled a preference for a U.S.-centric board structure and for clear data-control mechanisms to prevent data access by foreign governments. Critics warn that the evolving deal could set a precedent for how other tech platforms with cross-border ownership are treated.
As the clock ticks toward the Dec. 16 deadline, stakeholders remain cautious about timing and the exact composition of the investor group. Ellison’s involvement had already been reported, and Oracle’s role as the data-and-security steward is central to the administration's framework for approving any U.S. ownership shift. Dell Technologies, another name often mentioned in discussions around the deal, has not publicly commented on the specifics.
The New York Post, a unit of News Corp, has been reporting on the broader implications of the TikTok negotiations, which reflect longstanding tensions over data sovereignty and national-security considerations in the tech sector. While the White House has highlighted the components of the proposed arrangement—data security, board governance, and U.S. ownership—many details about the final structure and timeline remain under discussion. Officials say the aim is to finalize terms that would satisfy U.S. regulatory and security requirements while preserving the platform’s viability for users and advertisers.