甲骨文有可能取代微软收购TikTok，其背后是红杉资本和通用大西洋

据知情人士透露，字节跳动的两家最大投资者General Atlantic（通用大西洋）和Sequoia Capital（红杉资本）正在争相参与收购TikTok在美业务的交易，也很可能是甲骨文公司（Oracle Corp.)竞购TikTok背后的关键驱动力。

甲骨文集团最近成为了收购TikTok的有力竞争者，很可能取代微软。据悉，背后原因是红杉资本和通用大西洋担心他们在微软的交易中无法拥有一席之地，所以转而寻找其他潜在的技术合作伙伴，能让他们分一杯羹。他们选中了甲骨文，并不断推动其竞购TikTok，这也很快赢得了特朗普的公开支持。不过一些人表示，这些谈判都是不稳定的，外部投资者仍然可能作为少数投资者加入微软，竞购TikTok。

据知情人士透露，几家有意竞购TikTok的公司已被要求在本周末前提交报价，其中一方可能很快就会进入独家谈判阶段。不过，目前还不清楚是否会发生收购。因为字节跳动在周一提起诉讼，起诉特朗普在发布行政命令时没有遵循正当程序。

目前至少有三个阵营一直在试图收购TikTok。除了微软和甲骨文集团之外，Twitter公司也进行了初步谈判。不过虽然Twitter仍有兴趣，但还没有取得重大进展。熟悉谈判的一些人说，微软的谈判进度目前领先其他公司--考虑到时间紧迫和谈判的复杂性，这可能是一个关键的优势，特别是涉及到需要保证这些公司能够解决美国国家安全的担忧。微软表示，它的目标是不晚于9月15日完成与字节跳动的谈判，并补充说没有把握能够达成交易。

General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital, two major investors in TikTok’s Chinese parent company, are maneuvering to be part of a deal to acquire the U.S. operations of the popular video-sharing app as it seeks to avoid a ban by the Trump administration, according to people familiar with the discussions. The investment firms, which own large stakes in Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., are key drivers behind a possible bid for TikTok by a group including Oracle Corp., the people said. The Oracle group emerged recently as a possible alternative to Microsoft Corp., which said early this month that it was in talks to buy TikTok’s operations in the U.S. and three other countries.

Microsoft had said it might invite some U.S. investors to join its bid. But more recently Sequoia and General Atlantic grew concerned that they wouldn’t have a place in a Microsoft deal and looked for another potential tech partner that could give them a piece of the action, some of the people said. They are now pushing the potential Oracle bid, which quickly won President Trump’s public support, although some of the people said the Microsoft talks are fluid and outside investors could still be included as minority investors in Microsoft’s bid. Sequoia and General Atlantic both hold seats on ByteDance’s board. Sequoia’s seat is occupied by its China head, Neil Shen, while its efforts in the U.S. to participate in an acquisition are being led by Global Managing Partner Doug Leone. General Atlantic’s effort is led by its chief executive, Bill Ford, who represents his firm on ByteDance’s board. The investment firms have two points of interest that potentially conflict: their obligation as board members to maximize the value to ByteDance of its prized asset, and trying to buy into TikTok in the U.S. at a good price to capitalize on its potential.

At least three camps have been circling a possible TikTok deal. In addition to Microsoft and the Oracle group, Twitter Inc. also had preliminary talks about a potential combination, people familiar with those discussions said. Twitter remains interested but its approach hasn’t made significant headway, the people said. Microsoft’s discussions are more advanced than any others, some of the people familiar with talks said—potentially a critical advantage given the tight timetable and the complexity of the negotiations, especially as it relates to guaranteeing the companies could satisfy U.S. national-security concerns. Microsoft has said it aimed to complete discussions with ByteDance no later than Sept. 15, adding there is no certainty it would be able to conclude a deal.  source

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