The countdown is on again for a US-based buyer to take on TikTok, as it faces a ban. Euronews Next takes a look at the contenders to take over the app. View on euronews

Other potential buyers include the philanthropist Frank Mccourt ’s Project Liberty, which is raising capital to make a bid for TikTok in order to “rearchitect the platform” and protect user data. McCourt is a billionaire who previously owned the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. The project is supported by the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt.

Content creator Jimmy Donaldson, known on the Internet as MrBeast, has made it clear he is interested in buying TikTok. Donaldson has the most subscribers of any user on YouTube— over 340 million—and boasts over 113 million TikTok followers.

Jimmy Donaldson - aka MrBeast - was jubilant as he told his tens of millions of TikTok followers about his bid to buy the platform. "I might become you guys' new CEO! I'm super excited!" Donaldson said from a private jet. He then proceeded to promise $10,000 to five random new followers.

TikTok was only offline for 12 hours in the US before incoming president Donald Trump signalled that he would delay the nationwide ban of the Chinese-owned app. Trump gave a 75 day reprieve for TikTok and its 170 million users after signing an executive order on his first day in office on Monday,

As TikTok faces a potential ban, various bidders, including Elon Musk and Larry Ellison, are seen as suitors to buy the platform. Netflix is a possible option among streaming giants, though the company has not historically pursued major acquisitions.

United States President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters that Microsoft is in talks to acquire the video-sharing platform TikTok and that he would like to see a bidding war over the app.Microsoft denied to comment on this,