Zhang Yiming — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Founded ByteDance in 2012, developing platforms like Toutiao and TikTok.
Became the richest man in China in 2024, with an estimated net worth of US$65.5 billion as of May 2025.
Stepped down as CEO of ByteDance on November 4, 2021, but maintains over 50 percent of the company's voting rights.
Graduated from Nankai University in 2005 with a BEng in computer engineering.
Founded his first company, 99fang.com, a real estate search business, in 2009.

Biography

Zhang Yiming is a prominent Chinese internet entrepreneur, recognized for founding ByteDance in 2012. Under his leadership, ByteDance developed the news aggregator Toutiao and the highly successful video-sharing platform Douyin, internationally known as TikTok. His entrepreneurial success has made him one of the wealthiest individuals globally, with an estimated net worth of US$65.5 billion as of May 2025, and he was named the richest man in China in 2024.