Apple Has Reportedly Expressed 'Serious Interest' in Purchasing TikTok [Denied]

Apple has expressed interest in purchasing video-sharing social media platform TikTok, according to a newsletter snippet from Axios' Dan Primack:

Multiple sources tell me that Apple has expressed interest, albeit no sources inside of Apple, and that at least one other strategic has expressed interest. Yes, it would be an unusual deal for Apple, given that TikTok is a cross-platform app, and a bigger political headache than Tim Cook may want (both here and in China). But if anyone has the cash on hand...

In a follow-up tweet, Primack described Apple's interest as "serious."

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would shut down TikTok in the United States unless it finds an American buyer by September 15. Trump has also indicated that the U.S. Treasury should receive a "substantial amount of money" from the proposed sale, although there is some confusion as to what he exactly means by those comments.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it is "prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States."

Update - 7:57 a.m.: Axios has updated its report to note that "an Apple spokesperson tells Axios that there are no discussions about buying TikTok and the company isn't interested."

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