Tech Brew Ride Home Is TikTok US Only Worth $14B?
101 snips
Sep 26, 2025 A recent executive order might pave the way for TikTok's US sale, but is a $14 billion valuation too low? Meanwhile, Amazon faces a hefty $2.5 billion settlement over Prime practices. The controversial Neon app exposed user data before shutting down, raising privacy concerns. OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT Pulse seeks to make AI a daily habit, while Meta rolls out Vibes for AI-generated videos, despite fears of content flooding feeds. Dive into this tech landscape filled with surprising moves and implications!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
TikTok US Valued Far Below Its Worth
- The proposed TikTok USA deal values the U.S. business at roughly $14 billion, a figure that Brian calls comically low relative to TikTok's true worth.
- The structure leaves ByteDance with ~19.9% and investors rolling stakes, making the price look like a steep discount on a highly profitable asset.
Price Looks Like A Sweetheart Discount
- Brian contrasts the $14B price with ByteDance's multi-hundred billion valuation and TikTok's large revenue contribution, calling the deal a 'sweetheart' discount.
- He notes U.S. TikTok revenue alone likely exceeds $10B annually, implying investors are paying near a 1x revenue multiple.
Deal Ties Into Emirati Data Center Projects
- Brian highlights odd deal economics tying investors to large Emirati data center projects and related partners.
- He finds it notable that the sale price is smaller than the cost of a single affiliated data center buildout.