"A lot of noise" Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary gives an update on plans to acquire TikTok

Businessman Kevin O
Businessman Kevin O'Leary Testifies In House Hearing On Capital Access - Source: Getty

In the ever-evolving saga of TikTok's potential acquisition, Kevin O'Leary emerged with a candid Instagram update that cut through the digital chatter.

"TikTok is a lot of noise and not a lot of signal right now," he declared,

Setting the tone for a complex technological and geopolitical drama.

The Shark Tank investor pulled back the curtain on a high-stakes negotiation that involves billions of dollars, international tech regulations, and a potential landmark business transaction. With the Supreme Court's recent ruling mandating ByteDance to sell or face a U.S. ban, Kevin O'Leary and billionaire Frank McCourt have positioned themselves as potential saviors of the popular short-form video platform.

Their $20 billion cash offer comes with a twist that could change everything — a promise to completely rebuild the app's technological infrastructure from scratch.

Kevin O'Leary gives an update on what is going on with the TikTok acquisition

(Via @kevinolearytv on Instagram)

Kevin O'Leary's update highlighted a critical challenge.

"Unfortunately we are beholden to the law and that ruling from the Supreme Court said there is no option for any bidder to use one single line of the five billion lines of code," he explained.

The implications are stark. Any potential buyer must essentially create an entirely new technological ecosystem, discarding every single line of existing Chinese-developed code.

Enter the "secret golden share" — a fascinating piece of corporate intrigue that could derail the entire acquisition. "There is something called a secret golden share that every Chinese company has to issue to the CCP leadership," O'Leary revealed.

(Via @kevinolearytv on Instagram)

This mechanism grants the Chinese government — specifically President Xi Jinping — unprecedented veto power. "The secret share is a veto power over all other shareholders," O'Leary explained.

"They do not have any rights once the secret share has been issued," He elaborated.

The situation becomes even more complex with potential legislative action. "Rumor has it today, here in Washington, that Lindsey [Graham] will be launching a bill on this very shortly," Kevin O'Leary noted.

Interestingly, TikTok has pushed back, stating that "an entity affiliated with the Chinese government owns 1% of a ByteDance subsidiary, Douyin Information Service," and claims this has "no bearing on ByteDance's global operations outside of China."

What is the path forward according to Kevin O'Leary?

Kevin O'Leary's most critical observation?

"So now it comes back to which group — I don't care how many people announced this — has the tech to support this. And as far as I know, it's only the McCourt-O'Leary bid. We have the tech."

The platform's fate now seemingly rests on a delicate balance between technological innovation, international regulations, and political maneuvering.

With the Supreme Court's unanimous decision and the complex web of international tech regulations, the TikTok acquisition has become more than just a business deal. It's a geopolitical chess match where every move is scrutinized, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

O'Leary's blunt assessment serves as a reminder: in the world of international tech acquisitions, nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

"A lot of noise and not a lot of signal" might just be the perfect description of this unfolding drama.


President Trump extended TikTok's divest-or-ban deadline by 75 days through an executive order on his first day in office.

Edited by Shimona Sharma
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