All Brands Owned by ByteDance Ltd.

What does ByteDance own?
ByteDance owns TikTok, the international short-video platform with over 1 billion monthly active users, and Douyin, its Chinese domestic counterpart with over 700 million daily active users. The company also owns Toutiao, CapCut, Doubao (AI chatbot), Lark (enterprise software), Volcano Engine (cloud platform), Xigua Video, and Pico (VR hardware). ByteDance's platforms collectively reach billions of users across more than 150 countries. As of January 2026, TikTok's US operations are operated by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, in which ByteDance retains approximately 20% ownership.

Is ByteDance publicly traded?
No, ByteDance is a privately held company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and is not listed on any public stock exchange. General Atlantic's stake sale in February 2026 valued the company at $550 billion, up from $330 billion in an August 2025 employee buyback and $480 billion in a November 2025 secondary market deal. ByteDance has not announced plans for an initial public offering.

Who founded ByteDance?
ByteDance was founded by Zhang Yiming in March 2012 in Beijing, China. Zhang, a software engineer who had previously co-founded real estate platform 99fang.com, built ByteDance around the concept of algorithmic content recommendation. Liang Rubo, a co-founder and Zhang's college roommate, became CEO in 2021 when Zhang stepped down from the role to focus on strategic and research activities. Zhang remains a significant shareholder and strategic advisor.

Where is ByteDance headquartered?
ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing, China. The company's international operations, including TikTok, are managed from a separate entity headquartered in Singapore. ByteDance also maintains major offices in Los Angeles, London, Dublin, and other cities. The Singapore headquarters structure was adopted to provide a degree of operational separation between ByteDance's Chinese domestic business and its international platforms.

What is ByteDance's revenue?
ByteDance's estimated revenue for 2025 is approximately $190 billion, based on reported domestic growth of approximately 20% and international growth of nearly 50% from 2024's estimated $155 billion. International revenue now accounts for over 30% of total revenue. Net profit under IFRS fell over 70% to approximately $9 billion due to aggressive AI investment, though operating profit remained approximately $50 billion.

Who owns ByteDance?
ByteDance is a privately held company with no single publicly disclosed controlling shareholder. Zhang Yiming, the founder, holds a significant equity stake. Institutional investors including Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, SoftBank, and Susquehanna International Group hold stakes. ByteDance has consistently maintained that it is not controlled by the Chinese government, though its Chinese domestic operations are subject to Chinese regulatory requirements.

What happened with the TikTok US ban?
Congress passed a law in 2024 requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok's US operations by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. TikTok briefly went dark on January 19, 2025. After repeated extensions by the Trump administration, ByteDance finalized a deal on January 23, 2026, creating TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each hold 15% stakes. ByteDance retains approximately 20%. Adam Presser serves as CEO of the US entity, while TikTok CEO Shou Chew retains a board seat. Investors paid $10 billion to the US Treasury as part of the deal.

What is ByteDance's AI strategy?
ByteDance is the largest AI revenue generator in China, with projected annualized AI revenue of $4 billion from its Doubao chatbot and related services. The company is considering $70 billion in capital expenditure in 2026 for AI infrastructure, including development of its in-house SeedChip inference processor and procurement of advanced Nvidia GPUs. ByteDance has earmarked RMB 160 billion ($23 billion) specifically for AI infrastructure. The company has restructured its Lark enterprise unit to integrate with the Doubao AI team.