President Donald Trump says Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are likely involved in the U.S. TikTok deal, joining Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Michael Dell, as America pushes to secure the app’s 170 million users.
WEBDESK, MediaBites: September 22, 2025
President Donald Trump has suggested that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch could be part of a high-profile consortium moving to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.
In an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing, Trump said the Murdoch family is “probably gonna be in the group” of investors poised to finalize the Chinese-owned app’s sale. “I hate to tell you this – a man named Lachlan is involved,” Trump quipped. “That’s a very unusual name, Lachlan Murdoch. Rupert is probably gonna be in the group too. Really great people, American patriots.”
Reports indicate that Fox Corporation, owned by Rupert Murdoch and led by CEO Lachlan Murdoch, could be among the investors, alongside Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell.
The deal, which Trump called imminent, comes after years of political wrangling. Congress passed a 2024 law banning TikTok unless its U.S. business was sold to an American company over concerns of Chinese surveillance and data privacy. TikTok has an estimated 170 million American users, with Trump openly crediting the platform for helping mobilize voters during his 2024 presidential run.
White House officials say the new arrangement would put TikTok under a seven-member U.S.-controlled board, with Oracle overseeing data and algorithm security. Six of the seats will be filled by Americans.
Still, the prospect of Murdoch family involvement raises eyebrows given their outsized influence on U.S. media and politics. Fox representatives have not commented on Trump’s remarks.
If finalized, the deal would not only secure TikTok’s U.S. future but also further entrench some of the most powerful names in tech and media at the center of America’s social media landscape.
