Perplexity’s TikTok offer may please Trump

EXCLUSIVE: The CEO of AI startup Perplexity, Aravind Srinivas, confirmed his company’s bid for TikTok U.S. and said the deal checks all the boxes for investors and President Donald Trump, including an ownership stake for the U.S.

“We’re not trying to be disruptive to the existing shareholders, but we’re also trying to get what President Trump wants, which is about American control and also the government getting equity in the new entity. I think that we are offering both of that,” Srinivas told FOX Business in his first on-the-record comments since news of the deal leaked last month. 

Deal offer details

Perplexity, an AI search engine startup, in January submitted a bid to TikTok parent ByteDance, which would combine the company with TikTok U.S., and if at some point an initial public offering were to happen, the U.S. would receive warrants that would be 50% of the combined company. 

TRUMP RESTORES TIKTOK, GETS SWORN IN

After briefly going dark last month, Trump restored TikTok’s U.S. privileges for its 170 million domestic users and floated the terms Perplexity is now offering. 

“I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up. Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions. Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.” 

The proposed company would be American run. 

“The main thing we are solving for is clear U.S. board control. We want to make sure there is accountability. American persons, an American company, is able to hire and fire the CEO of TikTok and have accountability that no data is going to China,” said Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s chief business officer. He also noted that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who attended Trump’s inauguration, is “very capable.” 

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew attends President Donald Trump’s inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025. (Shawn Thew/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

FOX Business’ inquires to ByteDance and TikTok were not returned. 

Search Synergies

Aside from the pro-U.S. proposed structure, Perplexity says there are many search synergies between the two, especially among next-generation users who are increasingly using TikTok for search and getting real-time videos of restaurants and other local spots. 

(Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

This new proposed company could also take on search behemoth Google, which has had a contentious relationship with Trump over censorship during the election. Google denied these allegations, as reported by The Hill last September. Sundar…