EXCLUSIVE: Rumours Elon Musk could buy TikTok or broker a deal have swirled in recent days in a move that could transform the video-sharing platform and make both parties even more powerful, an expert has said.

Chinese officials are considering Elon Musk as a potential buyer for TikTok's US operations if the app faces a ban, according to sources familiar with the matter. The discussions are part of Beijing's broader contingency planning as officials prepare for negotiations with the incoming Trump administration.

After years of rejecting the idea of a sale of TikTok’s US assets to an American buyer in order to avert a ban, China and ByteDance may have found an owner they could live with: Elon Musk.