ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese technology conglomerate behind TikTok, plans to buy back employee stock at a valuation of approximately $312 billion.
The company is offering U.S. employees about $189.90 per share, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
The figure represents an uptick from the roughly $181 per share offered in a similar buyback six months ago, the individual said, requesting anonymity while discussing internal company matters.
The valuation boost comes despite ongoing uncertainty over TikTok’s future in the United States, where lawmakers continue to scrutinize its ownership and potential national security risks. Nevertheless, investor sentiment toward Chinese technology companies has improved in recent months, spurred in part by the rapid rise of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence firm that has fueled broader optimism about the sector.
Additionally, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent public support for domestic tech firms has signaled a shift in policy, suggesting that Beijing may offer increased backing to an industry seen as crucial for both economic recovery and technological self-sufficiency. The endorsement has helped lift market perceptions of major players like ByteDance, despite regulatory and geopolitical headwinds.
What to know
Several of ByteDance’s prominent investors, including SoftBank Group Corp., Fidelity Investments, and T. Rowe Price Group Inc., have adjusted their internal valuations of the company upward, with some exceeding $400 billion, according to reports. ByteDance declined to comment on the latest buyback plan, which was first reported by Reuters.
- The company has conducted similar repurchase programs in previous years, offering employees a means to liquidate their shares in the absence of an initial public offering. Last year, ByteDance set its buyback price at around $180 per share, equating to a $300 billion valuation, up from $268 billion in 2023.
- While TikTok remains ByteDance’s most recognizable global product, the company has also made significant strides in artificial intelligence. Its chatbot, Doubao, has attracted 75 million regular active users, and its vision-understanding model has been touted as 85% more cost-effective than competing technologies.
- These developments position ByteDance as a formidable player in the AI landscape, drawing comparisons to DeepSeek’s recent rise.
- Despite the challenges facing TikTok’s U.S. operations, ByteDance’s growing AI capabilities and increasing investor confidence suggest that the company remains a dominant force in the global tech industry.
Founded by Zhang Yiming, Liang Rubo, and a team of others in 2012, ByteDance developed the video-sharing apps TikTok and Douyin. The company is also the developer of the news platform Toutiao and the video-editing app CapCut.
eb Zhang is one of the richest individuals in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$45.6 billion as of October 2024, according to Forbes, and US$43.1 billion according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. On November 4, 2021, Zhang stepped down as CEO of ByteDance, completing a leadership handover announced in May 2021,
