TikTok to be owned by porn site OnlyFans?

TikTok

This might sound like a joke, but it’s real—the founder of OnlyFans wants to buy TikTok’s US business.According to a Reuters report, Tim Stokely, who started OnlyFans (the website known for adult content), is now running a new company called Zoop. He’s teamed up with a group that works with a cryptocurrency project, and together they’ve sent a plan to the White House to buy TikTok in the U.S.

Right now, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, which is based in China, has until April 5 to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban. The U.S. government is worried that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to collect data or influence people. Because of that, there’s pressure to sell it to a U.S. company.

Stokely’s new company Zoop says it’s not like OnlyFans—it’s a “family-friendly” platform where creators can earn money based on how much people engage with their content. One of Zoop’s leaders, RJ Phillips, told Reuters, “This isn’t just about buying TikTok. We want to create something where both creators and users benefit.”

So even though OnlyFans is known for porn, this bid is coming from a different company started by the same person.
They’re not the only ones interested. According to reports, Amazon has also made a last-minute offer to buy TikTok. And former President Donald Trump, who’s now back in office, is expected to review the different offers soon. He may even extend the deadline for a decision.

There are also other investor groups interested, but their names haven’t been shared yet.So what does this all mean? It means TikTok’s future in the US is still up in the air—and yes, one of the people trying to buy it is the same guy who built a site famous for adult content.

If this deal actually happens, it would be one of the strangest tech takeovers we’ve seen in a long time.