INV-024 · Money & ethics · Government deals

$10 billion fee for the TikTok deal

Stage 2 of 5: Inquiry · Letters and records requests · Last development 24 Jun 2026

Investors buying TikTok's US operations, including Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi's MGX, are reportedly paying the Treasury $10 billion, about 71% of the new company's announced value. $2.5 billion has been paid.

The WSJ report on Ellison's donation relies on unnamed sources; no official finding links it to the TikTok deal.

People: Scott Bessent, Oracle, Silver Lake, MGX, Larry Ellison
Agencies: Treasury Dept
Reviewed by: Senate Intelligence (vice chair), Federal court (D.C. Circuit)

Money involved

$45 million Ellison's gift to a pro-Trump nonprofit (Donations from people with business before the government) [3]

Timeline

24 Jun 2026
The Wall Street Journal reports that Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison gave about $45M to a political nonprofit backing Trump in 2024. The gift was not previously reported and was not subject to disclosure rules. [3]
17 Mar 2026
Sen. Mark Warner asks Treasury Secretary Bessent for the legal authority, how the amount was set, any presidential involvement, and how the money will be used. [1]
5 Mar 2026
Two investors in Alphabet and Meta, represented by the new Public Integrity Project, ask the D.C. Circuit to declare the TikTok deal illegal, arguing ByteDance kept the recommendation algorithm and an "operational relationship" the 2024 law forbids, and that Trump's five extensions and Bondi's non-enforcement broke the law (Tan v. Trump, 26-1047). The government has asked the court to dismiss; the case is pending. [4]
22 Jan 2026
TikTok says it closed a $14B deal creating a US joint venture; Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX each hold 15%, and ByteDance keeps nearly 20%. [2]

Responses

White House (Kush Desai): Said Trump is committed to working with American business leaders and that industry leaders "have a friend and ally in the White House." [3]
Oracle: Did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment. [3]

Who is acting on it

Lawsuit Public Integrity Project: Represented investors asking the D.C. Circuit to declare the deal illegal (5 Mar 2026, No reply or result recorded yet)
Letter Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA): Asked Bessent for the legal basis and how the $10B fee was set (17 Mar 2026, No reply or result recorded yet)

Sources

Cite this case

Public Trust Tracker. "$10 billion fee for the TikTok deal" (INV-024). Last updated 24 Jun 2026. https://publictrusttracker.org/case/inv-024-10-billion-fee-for-the-tiktok-deal/

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