TikTok Creates Majority-American Board Under Deal with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX

TikTok announced Thursday that it has finalized a comprehensive ownership restructuring that establishes a new majority American-owned entity, successfully navigating around a federal ban that threatened to end its US operations. The deal represents a significant shift in control that addresses longstanding national security concerns.
The completed transaction reduces ByteDance’s ownership to a 19.9% minority stake, while American investors assume controlling interest with 80.1% of the company. Three major investors share equal portions at 15% each: Oracle, the technology infrastructure leader headed by Larry Ellison; Silver Lake, a major private equity firm focused on technology sector investments; and MGX, an investment fund based in Abu Dhabi. The investment firm of Michael Dell, founder of Dell Technologies, also participates in the ownership consortium.
This resolution stems from bipartisan legislation enacted in 2024 that effectively banned TikTok from US operations unless it separated from Chinese ownership. The law reflected congressional concern about data security risks and potential foreign influence over the platform’s algorithms and content. The Supreme Court affirmed the legislation’s validity in January 2025, but President Trump utilized executive authority to delay enforcement while brokers negotiated the current agreement.
Adam Presser will lead the American entity as CEO, bringing extensive experience from his previous roles as general manager and global head of operations and trust and safety. The company will operate under the supervision of a seven-member board of directors, intentionally structured with an American majority and composed of experts in cybersecurity and national security disciplines. This governance structure directly addresses concerns about foreign control. Shou Chew, who currently serves as TikTok’s global CEO, will join the board.
The restructured organization has outlined specific protective measures for American operations, including comprehensive data security protocols, algorithm protection systems, enhanced content moderation capabilities, and software integrity verification processes. The platform’s content recommendation algorithm will be completely retrained using exclusively US user data, with continuous testing and refinement to ensure independent operation. Both American and Chinese government officials have approved the deal, with President Trump publicly thanking Chinese President Xi Jinping for his role in facilitating the arrangement, which brings relief to content creators and influencers who depend on the platform for their livelihoods.