Axel Springer CEO reportedly pitches TikTok Europe stake

Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner reportedly proposed that the German media group join a deal to separate TikTok’s European operations from ByteDance, potentially as part of a consortium or as a shareholder. The idea was raised at a January lunch with U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner and later reached European Commission officials, but reportedly gained no traction. Axel Springer says it would welcome a European ownership solution modeled on the restructuring of TikTok’s U.S. business, while ByteDance denies formal acquisition talks and has called one account of the proposal fabricated. Döpfner has previously argued that TikTok should be owned by non-Chinese shareholders, citing concerns about the platform’s potential to amplify propaganda.