★ Government Action
Trump TikTok deal names Tahnoon's MGX as U.S. operator
Filed September 2025
★ The Brief
What happened
In September 2025, the Trump administration's deal to keep TikTok running in the U.S. named MGX, the Abu Dhabi investment firm chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon and co-owned by G42, among the handful of approved domestic operators.
Who enabled it
Who benefits
Deal or steal?
MGX's selection followed nine months of dealmaking with Tahnoon-controlled entities, including a secret 49% stake in the Trump family's World Liberty Financial and a $1.4 trillion UAE investment pledge, handing an Abu Dhabi firm a foothold in a politically sensitive U.S. platform.
★ Cast your vote
In September 2025, under a deal negotiated by the Trump administration to determine the future of TikTok in the US, MGX was selected as one of a handful of investors to operate the platform domestically. MGX is chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon and co-owned by G42. The selection followed nine months of escalating commercial and diplomatic engagement between the Trump administration and Tahnoon-controlled entities, including the secret Aryam-WLF deal, the $1.4 trillion pledge, the White House dinner, and the AI chip framework agreement.
Further reading
- ★ Private ActionMay 2025UAE firm uses $2B Trump-Witkoff stablecoin for Binance stake
- ★ Private ActionJanuary 2026ByteDance TikTok U.S. spin-out names MGX, Oracle, Silver Lake
- ★ Government ActionMay 2025Treasury launches fast-track CFIUS review UAE lobbied for
- ★ Government ActionMay 2025White House grants UAE access to advanced AI chips for G42
- ★ Private ActionMarch 2025Tahnoon pledges $1.4T UAE investment in Oval Office meeting with Trump
- ★ Private ActionJanuary 2025UAE-backed Aryam buys 49% of Trump crypto venture four days before inauguration