On April 4, 2025, Walmart refuted claims made by ABC News that the retail giant was contemplating joining a consortium to acquire the U.S. operations of the popular short-video app, TikTok. An ABC News reporter, Selina Wang, had earlier posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Walmart was “actively considering” this move, citing sources familiar with the deal. The report suggested that Walmart’s interest was partly influenced by Amazon’s involvement in the potential acquisition.
However, a Walmart spokesperson dismissed the ABC News story as inaccurate and noted that the article had been removed from ABC’s website. Attempts to reach ABC News for further comments were unsuccessful.
This isn’t the first time Walmart has been linked to TikTok. In 2020, the retailer expressed interest in partnering with Microsoft to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations, aiming to integrate e-commerce and advertising capabilities into the platform. At that time, Walmart believed that such a partnership would enhance its ability to serve omnichannel customers and expand its third-party marketplace and advertising businesses.
The current status of TikTok’s U.S. operations remains uncertain. A proposed deal to spin off these operations was recently put on hold after China signaled opposition, following an announcement by President Donald Trump to increase tariffs on Chinese goods. The plan involved creating a new U.S.-based entity, primarily owned by U.S. investors, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake. However, significant differences persist, and Chinese authorities have yet to approve the agreement.
As of now, Walmart has no confirmed plans to join any investor group aiming to acquire TikTok.
