The Wealth of Zhang Yiming Has Reportedly Decreased by 89.3 Billion

March 31, 2023
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Beijing time, on March 31st, insiders reported that Zhang Yiming holds the majority of ByteDance’s founder shares. According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, his net worth has dropped by approximately $13 billion (equivalent to RMB 89.3 billion) from last year.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer testified before US Congress last week. He confirmed that 60% of ByteDance’s shares are held by global investors, 20% by employees, and 20% by the founders. Insiders claim that most of the 20% founder stake is held by Zhang Yiming, despite co-founder Liang Rubo holding 1% of the founder shares.

Zhang Yiming

Recent reports show the 20% founder stake is lower than estimated. Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index adjusted Zhang Yiming’s net worth accordingly. This was based on the latest disclosed shareholding and the company’s valuation. The Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company, G42, purchased ByteDance shares in the private market, leading to the company’s current valuation of approximately $220 billion.

As per this calculation, Zhang Yiming’s net worth is $42.3 billion, and Liang Rubo’s net worth is $2.1 billion. However, in September last year, ByteDance’s valuation was $300 billion when it bought back up to $3 billion worth of company stocks. Compared to that time, Zhang Yiming’s net worth has dropped by approximately $13 billion.

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Two years ago, investors were willing to invest at a valuation of $400 billion, and Zhang Yiming’s net worth at that time may have exceeded $60 billion, making him one of the wealthiest people in Asia.

Zhang Yiming stepped down as CEO and board member of ByteDance in May 2021. Liang Rubo, his college roommate, took over. However, Zhang’s founder shares with weighted voting rights may give him and Liang greater power. ByteDance has not commented on this.

Zhang Yiming is known for founding TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in 2012. Under his leadership, ByteDance has become one of the world’s most valuable startups, with multiple popular social media apps such as TikTok, Douyin, and Toutiao.

Follow-up

Recent news of Zhang Yiming’s decreasing net worth has sparked online discussions. Possible reasons suggested include the pandemic’s impact on ByteDance’s valuation and increased regulatory pressure on the company.

Zhang Yiming’s decreasing net worth is causing concerns about ByteDance’s future. The company faces challenges in the digital age and it’s uncertain how it will adapt. It’s also unclear what role Zhang Yiming will have in the company’s future.

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