Former President Donald Trump floated an intriguing idea this week: TikTok, the wildly popular video app, could be acquired by a new US sovereign wealth fund. But what does that mean, and could it actually happen?

Trump shared the proposal while signing an executive order to set up a sovereign wealth fund, similar to those in countries like Norway and Saudi Arabia, which invest national money into stocks, bonds, and other assets. He hinted that TikTok might be part of this fund, saying, “We might put that in the sovereign wealth fund, whatever we make.”

The suggestion comes as TikTok faces a ticking clock. Under a law passed last year, the app’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, must sell TikTok or face a ban in the US by April. Trump has previously mentioned the US taking a 50% stake in a potential joint venture to keep TikTok running for its 170 million American users.

However, creating a sovereign wealth fund and using it to buy TikTok isn’t a quick fix. Experts point out that it would require tens of billions of dollars and raise complex questions about how the app would be managed. Plus, if the government owns TikTok, First Amendment protections could make it tricky to govern content on the platform.

Even if a deal goes through, there’s no guarantee users will stick around. Many TikTok fans have expressed skepticism about the government’s involvement, with some calling the idea “dystopian.” One user summed it up: “I don’t think too many people want to be on a platform that is being owned by the government.”

For now, TikTok’s future remains uncertain. While Trump’s proposal adds another layer to the ongoing debate, it’s unclear whether this idea will gain traction or fade away. Stay tuned—TikTok’s next chapter might just surprise us all.