Viral TikTok Campaign Seeks to Buy and Relaunch Spirit Airlines

A crowdfunding campaign coordinated via TikTok is attempting to acquire and relaunch Spirit Airlines following the company’s shutdown. The effort has utilized the social media platform to mobilize a broad base of contributors, raising more than $337 million to facilitate the purchase.

The initiative is led by TikTok creator Hunter Peterson. According to reporting from India Today, the online fundraiser has raised over $335 million as part of the bid to revive the carrier.

The campaign is seeking to implement a model of public ownership for the airline. Specifically, the effort references the Green Bay Packers model, a financial structure where a professional organization is owned by its community and a wide array of shareholders rather than a single private owner or a small group of institutional investors.

This approach leverages crowdfunding, a method of raising capital through small contributions from a large number of individuals, typically via internet platforms. By applying this model to a corporate acquisition, the campaign aims to shift the airline’s ownership from private equity or corporate control to a public-facing ownership structure.

The bid to relaunch the airline comes as Spirit Airlines manages the consequences of its shutdown. The company is currently involved in liquidation proceedings and the processing of flight refunds for affected passengers.