History and Foundation of TikTok
TikTok is a short-form video hosting service founded in September 2016 by Chinese internet company ByteDance. Now, it is available in 40 languages around the world by supporting operating systems such as iOS, iPadOS, Android, Android TV, and visionOS.
Founder and Chairman of TikTok
Zhang Yiming is the co-founder and chairman of TikTok, its parent company Chinese tech giant ByteDance, and the former CEO of ByteDance. Tiktok app was developed by Beijing Microlive Vision Technology Co. Ltd. and was initially released on 20 September 2016.
Full List of CEO's of TikTok
Zhang Yiming is the founder, chairman, and CEO of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. However, on November 4, 2021, Zhang stepped down as CEO of ByteDance, completing a leadership transition that was announced in May 2021.
According to Reuters, Zhang still holds more than 50 percent of ByteDance's voting rights. The rapid global growth of TikTok propelled Zhang to become the richest person in China in 2024. As of the current updated data, Shou Zi Chew, a veteran technology executive, was appointed as the CEO passion in 2021 and since then he has led the company as a CEO.
Shou Zi Chew is a Singapore-born Chinese businessman who studied at University College in London, where he graduated with a degree in Economics. He did his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, interning at Facebook.