Amazon makes shock last-minute bid to buy TikTok: report

Amazon has reportedly jumped into the TikTok sweepstakes with a surprise last-minute play to buy the video-sharing app from its Chinese parent ByteDance ahead of Saturday’s deadline.The e-retail giant, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, submitted an offer letter detailing its proposal that was addressed to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the bid.Key parties involved in negotiations on a potential TikTok sale “do not appear to be taking Amazon’s bid seriously,” according to The Times.Other details, such as the dollar value of Amazon’s proposal, were not revealed.Amazon declined to comment.

Representatives for the White House and TikTok did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment.A source familiar with the situation confirmed that Amazon submitted an offer when contacted by The Post.The shock bid comes on the same day that President Trump is set to meet with top advisers in the Oval Office to hear details on a proposal for TikTok’s existing US investors to take majority control of a spun-off version of the company.Vance and Lutnick are reportedly set to attend the meeting alongside national security adviser Mike Waltz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.Bezos has cultivated closer ties to Trump since his election win, even attending the president’s inauguration alongside other tech moguls.Trump has until Saturday to find an acceptable buyer for TikTok after issuing an executive order delaying enforcement of a federal law that banned the app unless ByteDance divested.The president could opt to extend the deadline again if terms aren’t finalized.Congress and the feds say TikTok is a national security threat until China is no longer involved in its operations.

The app has more than 170 million American users.As The Post has reported, existing US investors in TikTok parent ByteDance – Susquehanna, KKR, General Atlan...