Triller says made $20 billion bid with Centricus for TikTok assets

Triller Inc executive chairman Bobby Sarnevesht said that the short-video app had made a $20 billion offer with investment firm Centricus Asset Management Ltd for the assets of rival TikTok that China’s ByteDance is seeking to a divest.

ByteDance and TikTok denied knowledge of the offer, raising questions over whether the proposed deal between two of the most popular social media apps in the United States represented a serious bid or was a publicity stunt.

ByteDance has been ordered by President Donald Trump to divest TikTok in the United States, amid security concerns over the personal data it handles.

Microsoft Corp and Oracle Corp are among the U.S. companies vying to acquire the assets of TikTok, which claims about 100 million monthly active users in the United States. The Chinese firm is expected to pick a bidder to enter into exclusive talks soon.