I thought it was the Chinese owner of Tiktok that got paid money.

What is your evidence that the US government was paid any money as part of that deal (over and above any taxes that would have been incurred by any sale of any business).

He's referring to whoever paid in America to be gifted the largest propaganda platform.

I'm sure money also went to Chinese owners.

"Gifted" would be misleading if (as I suspect) the entity that ended up with American Tiktok is the entity that won a bidding war to make the most attractive offer to the Chinese owner.

> whatever company gives the government the most money

If only! Unfortunately it's whatever makes the Party leadership the most money.

funny how the association of "party leadership" is some socerlest regime, while we're talking US politics.