Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
U.S. Special Forces Intercept Ship Carrying Military Components Bound for Iran 
EssilorLuxottica Bets on AI-Powered Smart Glasses as Competition Intensifies 
Tunisia Protests Grow as Opposition Unites Against President Kais Saied’s Rule 
SpaceX Edges Toward Landmark IPO as Elon Musk Confirms Plans 
Apple App Store Injunction Largely Upheld as Appeals Court Rules on Epic Games Case 
Belarus Frees 123 Political Prisoners in U.S.-Brokered Deal Over Sanctions 
EU Court Cuts Intel Antitrust Fine to €237 Million Amid Long-Running AMD Dispute 
United Airlines Flight to Tokyo Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure During Takeoff 
Adobe Strengthens AI Strategy Ahead of Q4 Earnings, Says Stifel 
Evercore Reaffirms Alphabet’s Search Dominance as AI Competition Intensifies 
SK Hynix Labeled “Investment Warning Stock” After Extraordinary 200% Share Surge 
Trump Criticizes EU’s €120 Million Fine on Elon Musk’s X Platform 
New Epstein Photos Surface Showing Trump as Lawmakers Near Document Release Deadline 
US Charges Two Men in Alleged Nvidia Chip Smuggling Scheme to China 
Trump Signs Executive Order to Establish National AI Regulation Standard 
Private equity giant Blackstone (NYSE:BX) has withdrawn from a consortium bidding for TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to a Reuters source. The exit comes as ongoing delays and rising uncertainty cloud the future of TikTok’s American business, which has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China trade tensions.
The consortium, led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic—both existing investors in TikTok parent ByteDance—was the frontrunner in a deal supported by the Trump administration. Under the proposed plan, U.S. investors would control 80% of the U.S. TikTok entity, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake.
Blackstone declined to comment, while TikTok has not yet responded to inquiries.
The deal’s timeline has been repeatedly pushed back. President Donald Trump recently signed a third executive order extending the deadline for ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok assets to September 17. A law passed in April 2024 requires a sale or shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025. Lawmakers have criticized the delays, citing national security concerns over Chinese ownership of the app.
ByteDance, which reportedly earned $43 billion in Q1 2025 and outpaced Meta (NASDAQ:META) in revenue, is weighing options including a sale or restructuring of its U.S. operations. The consortium is also reported to include KKR, Andreessen Horowitz, and Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), though it’s unclear if all parties remain involved.
Plans to spin off TikTok into a U.S.-based company were halted after China signaled opposition following Trump’s new tariffs. Despite the setbacks, TikTok is reportedly developing a separate U.S. version of the app.
Blackstone’s departure underscores the geopolitical and regulatory challenges complicating the TikTok deal, which Trump has linked directly to broader trade discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
