Nepotism 2.0: Trump Insider Suggests 19-Year-Old Barron for TikTok Board
Trump’s ex-social media manager suggests that Donald Trump’s son Barron should get a board position at TikTok. The 19-year-old, who helped his father appeal to young voters during the election campaign, could even run the company.
TikTok post for the president’s son
Barron Trump (19) has been suggested as a possible TikTok board member. The idea came from Jack Advent, President Trump’s former social media producer, whom he called “TikTok Jack.” Advent was Trump’s connection to Generation Z and was responsible for his presence on the video platform during the 2024 presidential campaign.
The whole thing seems like a classic case of nepotism – if the father has the power, why shouldn’t the son benefit from it? Barron William Trump is Donald Trump’s fifth and youngest child; his mother is First Lady Melania Trump. Loud Daily Mail Said Advent: “I hope that President Trump will consider appointing his son Barron and perhaps other young Americans to TikTok’s board of directors to ensure that it remains an app that young people want to continue to use,” he said. Barron is currently studying at NYU Stern School of Business, one of the most competitive college business programs in the world. He began his studies in Manhattan before reportedly transferring some of his coursework to NYU’s Washington campus.
This allowed him to remain closer to his parents in the White House – a decision that made his privileged position clear early on. According to Melania Trump, her son Barron played an important role in winning over young voters for Donald. He is said to have made many suggestions to connect his father with podcasters and online influencers who are particularly popular among young men. Trump’s appearance on Joe Rogan was particularly successful, generating over 47 million views.
Questionable qualifications
But the question remains: Does this really qualify a 19-year-old student for a board position in a billion-dollar company? Barron’s previous business experience is limited to a short-lived real estate company. In July 2024, he founded Trump, Fulcher & Roxburgh Capital Inc. The company was dissolved after the 2024 presidential election, with no plans to revive it during his father’s second presidency. This short business experience is unlikely to be enough to overcome the complex challenges of a global tech group or its spin-off US branch.
TikTok itself employs over 7,000 people worldwide and generates billions in sales. The platform is also under constant political scrutiny over its Chinese ownership and privacy concerns. Critics see the proposal as further evidence of the Trump family tradition of elevating relatives to positions of influence. During his first term in office, Donald Trump appointed his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner as advisers in the White House – despite their lack of political experience. TikTok, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, is transferring its U.S. operations to American investors following Trump’s executive order.
The irony is obvious: While Trump wanted to ban TikTok in his first term in office, he successfully used the platform for his election campaign in 2024. Now his son could benefit from this turnaround and take a leadership role in the company that his father once branded as a security risk. At least if the US President takes this suggestion into account – although hardly anyone would be surprised if that actually happens; in the Trump era, any kind of conniving is possible.
