Bloomberg Intelligence TikTok’s Algorithm to Be Secured by Oracle in Trump-Backed Deal
Sep 22, 2025
Sam Fazeli, Director of Research for Global Industries at Bloomberg Intelligence, unpacks Pfizer's ambitious $4.9 billion acquisition of Metsera, aimed at tapping into the booming obesity market. He compares Metsera's long-acting amylin analogs with existing GLP-1 treatments, highlighting efficacy and side effects. The discussion also touches on the impact of H-1B visa costs on pharmaceutical talent. With a deep dive into healthcare innovation, Fazeli’s insights paint a vivid picture of the evolving landscape in obesity treatment.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Oracle Central To TikTok US Control
- Oracle will host TikTok US data and is expected to control or recreate the recommendation algorithm to satisfy regulators.
- Multiple U.S. investors may own TikTok but Oracle's role centralizes data and algorithm control for a U.S.-based product.
Algorithm Rebuild Points Toward Video LLMs
- A U.S. TikTok will attempt to retrain or license a copy of ByteDance's algorithm with Oracle operating the process.
- The bigger strategic shift is toward training video-focused LLMs using TikTok's data rather than just tuning recommendation logic.
Prioritize Product & Proprietary AI
- Focus on building product and AI capabilities first rather than juggling too many owners or short-term profit moves.
- Prioritize training proprietary LLMs on owned video data to capture the longer-term moat for recommendation and AI features.