Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas confirms bid to acquire TikTok's US business

Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas has confirmed that his company is bidding to acquire the Chinese-owned TikTok's US business. The deal which has been proposed to TikTok's parent company ByteDance would be to merge Perplexity with TikTok US and if an initial public offering (IPO) were to happen, the US would receive warrants which would be 50% of the newly combined company, according to the report.

“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,” the report quoted Srinivas as saying. “I think that we are offering both of that.”

This comes after Trump restored TikTok in the US for its 170 million users there, along with placing the terms which Perplexity is now offering.