Why Some People Think Israel Actually Bought TikTok

On Sept. 25, 2025, the White House announced in a press release that a deal had been reached with ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, giving the U.S. majority control of the platform to protect Americans’ data and national security.

Immediately after, rumors began circulating that Israel was actually the majority buyer. And with headlines like “How Israel Captured TikTok” and “Israel Wins TikTok” popping up, it’s easy to see why such theories began circulating.

But did Israel really buy TikTok? Here’s what we know.

A mix of U.S. investors purchased a majority stake in TikTok in a September 2025 deal, not the government of Israel, allowing the platform to continue being used by Americans. The White House press release states, “It will be majority-owned and controlled by United States persons and will no longer be controlled by any foreign adversary.”

It also notes that ByteDance Ltd. and its affiliates now own less than 20 percent of the platform and that “this new joint venture will be run by a new board of directors and subject to rules that appropriately protect Americans’ data and our national security.” However, the U.S. did not specify exactly who these investors are.

So why are people suggesting TikTok was bought by Israel?

Much of the speculation centers on Larry Ellison. He was poised to serve as a major investor in the TikTok-U.S. deal and has ties to Israel. On Sept. 27, 2025, the BBC reported that Larry, 81, the co-founder of Oracle (founded in 1977), was positioned to “become an investor with an even greater role,” with Oracle reportedly set to manage “retraining the algorithm that serves up what we see” on TikTok.

While the White House did not officially confirm Oracle as a majority investor, CNBC reported that sources told the outlet Oracle would be a main investor in the U.S.-TikTok deal. In addition to Oracle, Silver Lake, a global private equity firm based in Menlo Park, Calif., and MGX, based in Abu Dhabi, would also be main investors.

Now, here’s where things get sticky, and why some people are suggesting Israel owns TikTok.

You know how when Donald Trump took office for a second term, it seemed like Elon Musk was really pulling the strings? That seems to be the comparison people are making when they say Israel “bought” TikTok.

The government of Israel did not officially buy TikTok, but some of the investors reportedly controlling it and making major decisions have ties to the country.

Essentially, people are comparing it to the Trump-Musk dynamic, where the U.S. is the public face and Israel is allegedly influencing behind the scenes. It’s important to note that this isn’t confirmed, it’s just speculation based on connections.

Take Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, for example. Larry, who owns roughly 40 percent of Oracle and therefore has significant influence over the company, is reportedly close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has “donated heavily to the Israeli military through the non-profit Friends of the Israel Defense Forces,” according to The Guardian.

Silver Lake, on the other hand, announced in a 2021 press release that it had made “substantial investments” in G42, a leading artificial intelligence and cloud computing company based in Abu Dhabi.

The release also noted that in 2020, G42 “became the first UAE-based company to establish an office in Israel, following the signing of the Abraham Accords,” suggesting a friendly relationship between G42 and Israel. If G42 and Silver Lake are now partners, some people might see this as another link to the country.

Simply put, Israel didn’t buy TikTok, but speculation arises because of the ties some of TikTok’s newest investors have to Israel.