The $14 billion price tag proposed for TikTok’s U.S. business values it more like a stuffy old energy or food company than a leading global social media company.

The rough estimate, cited by Vice President JD Vance on Thursday, is well below previous projections that scaled closer to $40 billion. Vance’s comments came as President Donald Trump pushed forward a plan for American investors to buy the U.S. operation from Chinese internet firm ByteDance Ltd.

Vance conceded that the purchasers will “ultimately” determine the amount paid. While expected buyers, including Oracle Corp. and Silver Lake Management LLC, would likely welcome a low-ball valuation, ByteDance and its existing investors may find it amusing, if not insulting.

Ashwin Binwani, founder of Alpha Binwani Capital, said the pr

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