Amazon and OnlyFans Founder Join TikTok Bidding War – But Is It All For Show?

TikTok's fate hangs in the balance, and the clock's ticking louder than ever. With a 5 April 2025 deadline looming to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a US ban, the short-video app's suitors are piling up. Amazon's thrown in a last-minute bid, while OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely's teamed up with a cryptocurrency crew to join the fray.

It's a high-stakes showdown that's got markets buzzing — Amazon shares jumped 2% on the news — but whispers abound: is this all just a flashy distraction? Here's the skinny on who's in, what's at stake, and whether it's worth your attention.

Amazon's 11th-Hour Play: Bold Move or Empty Gesture?

Amazon leapt into the TikTok bidding war with a dramatic flourish, submitting an offer to snap up the app's US operations just days before the 5 April 2025 cut-off. The e-commerce titan, already a behemoth with its £1.5 trillion ($1.9 trillion) market cap, sees TikTok's 170 million US users as a golden ticket to turbocharge its retail empire.

Picture this: influencers hawking Amazon goods in snappy 15-second clips, seamlessly linking to your cart — it's a dream merger of social clout and shopping heft. The bid, first reported by sources on 2 April 2025, sent shares up £3.80 ($4.88) to £195 ($250.88) in a trading spike.

But hold the applause. Insiders reckon Amazon's move might be more theatre than substance. The offer, penned to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, hasn't dazzled the White House. Sources close to the talks hint it's not being taken seriously — perhaps a long shot from a giant flexing its muscles rather than a genuine contender.

Amazon's stayed mum, declining to comment, which only fuels the scepticism. Could this be a PR stunt to keep investors chirpy amid Trump's tariff chaos? With markets still reeling from a £1.7 trillion ($2.2 trillion) wipeout on 3 April 2025, the timing's suspiciously convenient.

OnlyFans Founder's Crypto Curveball: A Creator's Gambit

Enter Tim Stokely, the brains behind OnlyFans, with a wild card up his sleeve. On 2 April 2025, his startup Zoop — a name that raised eyebrows — partnered with a cryptocurrency foundation to pitch a late-stage plan for TikTok.

Stokely's not your typical tech mogul; he built OnlyFans into a £780 million ($1 billion) empire by empowering creators, and now he's eyeing TikTok's creator-driven kingdom. His pitch? A blockchain-backed vision where TikTok's influencers keep more of the pie, sidestepping ByteDance's Chinese roots with a decentralised twist.

It's a quirky contender, no doubt. Zoop's got no public valuation, and pairing with crypto folk screams risk — think volatile £10,000 ($12,850) Bitcoin swings — but it's bold. Stokely's crew told reporters they're serious, banking on TikTok's 700 million global users to buy into a creator-first future.

Showbiz or Substance: What's Really Cooking?

So, is this bidding war the real deal or a glitzy sideshow? Trump's 2 April 2025 tariff bombshell — 10% across 185 countries — has markets in a tizzy, and TikTok's fate feels like a subplot.

For you? Keep your wallet ready. If Amazon wins, expect a £15 ($19) gadget to nudge up to £18 ($23) as TikTok Shop fuses with Prime. If Stokely pulls it off, your fave creators might hawk crypto-tipped content — a £5 ($6.40) subscription could spike. No deal? TikTok vanishes from US app stores, and your scrolling's toast.