ByteDance boss to step down in big shake-up at TikTok owner

Zhang Yiming, co-founder of TikTok owner ByteDance, advised staff of the Chinese technological know-how big in a memo that he will step down as main govt, the firm disclosed on Thursday.

He will be succeeded by co-founder Rubo Liang. The shift, to start with described by Reuters, represents the greatest corporate shake-up at ByteDance since its launch in 2012. The firm grew to grow to be a dominant social media force in China and turned TikTok into a worldwide feeling.

Mr Zhang wrote that Mr Liang, who was Bytedance’s head of human methods, experienced been “an priceless companion”, advancing the company’s technological know-how and employing and running individuals. He extra that he would function with Mr Liang about the upcoming 6 months to be certain a smooth transition.

Mr Zhang said that right after numerous months of deliberation he concluded that he would have a increased effect on ByteDance’s lengthier-time period initiatives if he transitioned out of the main govt part.

“The truth of the matter is, I lack some of the expertise that make an perfect supervisor. I’m a lot more interested in analysing organisational and industry concepts, and leveraging these theories to additional cut down administration function, relatively than actually running individuals,” Mr Zhang wrote.

“Likewise, I’m not really social, preferring solitary actions like getting on the internet, looking through, listening to music and thinking about what may well be probable,” he extra.

Mr Zhang’s decision to step down will come considerably less than a month after ByteDance named its main fiscal officer Shouzi Chew as main govt of TikTok.

TikTok has sought to distance alone from Beijing right after the United States lifted countrywide protection issues about the security of the personal info it handles.

Previous US president Donald Trump’s administration sought to force ByteDance to divest regulate of the app. A US plan to provide TikTok’s American operations to a consortium that integrated Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc languished, on the other hand, after ByteDance launched successful legal difficulties.