In a surprise move, Amazon has submitted a bid to acquire all of TikTok, according to a report from The New York Times. This last-minute entry into the acquisition fray comes as TikTok faces an April 5 deadline to shed its Chinese ownership or risk being banned in the United States.

The bid from Amazon is seen as a long shot, with parties involved in the deal talks not taking it seriously, according to The Times' report. This is likely due to the fact that Amazon's bid is a relatively late entry into the process, with other bidders having been in talks with TikTok's parent company ByteDance for months.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with officials on Wednesday to discuss the app's fate. Trump has stated that a deal with ByteDance to sell TikTok will be finalized before the April 5 deadline. However, the exact nature of this deal remains unclear, with multiple bidders and investors vying for a stake in the popular social media app.

One of the leading bidders is a consortium led by Oracle, which includes venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. According to a report from the Financial Times, Andreessen Horowitz is in talks to invest in TikTok as part of this bid. The consortium also includes other American investors interested in purchasing the app.

Another potential bidder is private equity firm Blackstone, which is considering joining ByteDance's current non-Chinese shareholders in providing fresh capital to bid for TikTok's U.S. operations. This group, led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, is seen as a dark horse in the bidding process.

The fate of TikTok hangs in the balance as the April 5 deadline approaches. The app's Chinese ownership has been a point of contention for the Trump administration, which has cited national security concerns as the reason for the potential ban. TikTok has repeatedly denied any allegations of data sharing with the Chinese government, but the issue remains a sticking point in the negotiations.

The acquisition of TikTok would be a significant move for any of the bidders, giving them control over a social media platform with hundreds of millions of active users. The app's popularity, particularly among younger generations, makes it a valuable asset in the world of technology and social media.

As the deadline draws near, all eyes will be on the negotiations between ByteDance and the various bidders. Will Amazon's last-minute bid be enough to sway the parties involved, or will one of the other bidders emerge victorious? One thing is certain: the fate of TikTok will have significant implications for the tech industry and beyond.