Trump Administration to Get $10 Billion from TikTok Investors

The Trump administration is set to receive approximately $10 billion from investors who acquired control of TikTok's U.S. operations in a deal finalized in January, according to people familiar with the matter.

The payment stems from an agreement involving a group of investors aligned with the administration, who took over the American business of the popular short-video app from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The arrangement established TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, a majority American-owned entity designed to safeguard U.S. user data, applications, and algorithms through enhanced privacy and cybersecurity protocols. This structure allowed TikTok to avert a potential nationwide ban, amid concerns from lawmakers about national security risks posed by ByteDance's ownership. The app, which serves more than 200 million users in the United States, disclosed limited details about the divestiture process.

Investors in the new venture include Oracle Corporation, private equity firm Silver Lake, Abu Dhabi's MGX investment group, and other backers. They contributed about $2.5 billion to the Treasury Department upon closing the deal, with additional installments planned to total...