Shou Zi Chew — the TikTok CEO who was grilled on Capitol Hill as US lawmakers from both parties push for a potential nationwide ban of the popular video-sharing app — has shown he can face the heat as a Singapore Army veteran and Harvard business school graduate.
Calls for a TikTok ban have escalated in recent days due to concerns the app, owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, poses a risk to national security.
Critics are also concerned about TikTok’s content moderation practices and potential harm to underage users on the platform.
TikTok’s popularity has complicated the situation. The app has more than 150 million users in the US alone and has rapidly emerged as a major rival to more established social media platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat.
Who is TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew?
Chew, 40, was born in Singapore in 1983. He attended an elite high school and completed mandatory military service in the country before attending University College London, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He is still a reservist in the Singaporean army.
Chew is married to investment firm executive Vivian Kao, whom he met at Harvard University. The couple has two children.
Chew started his stint at ByteDance as the company’s CFO in March 2021. He was appointed CEO of TikTok later that year and replaced former Disney executive Kevin Mayer, who resigned from the post just three months after he took the job.
Where did Chew work prior to TikTok?
After a stint serving in Singapore’s military, Chew joined on as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs in London. Chew eventually received an MBA from Harvard University and worked as an intern at Facebook.
Later, Chew joined the venture capital firm DST Global, where his fluency in Mandarin allowed him to become its “China-focused partner,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
During his tenure at the firm, Chew led a group that were among the earliest investors in ByteDance in 2013.
Chew also worked at Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, where he held the title of CFO and other roles, before joining TikTok parent ByteDance.
Why did Chew testify before US Congress?
The House Energy and Commerce Committee called on Chew to testify about TikTok’s “consumer privacy and data security practices, the platforms’ impact on kids, and their relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.”
The March 23 hearing marked the first time that Chew has publicly appeared on Capitol Hill to address concerns about the app.
Lawmakers from both parties have called for a ban on TikTok, arguing it allows China to snoop on Americans and puts US user data at risk.
How much is Chew worth?
Chew’s net worth is not publicly known. During his appearance on Capitol Hill on Thursday, March 23, Chew acknowledged that he received a salary from privately held TikTok and also participated in ByteDance’s stock-based compensation plan.
Who owns TikTok?
TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. The company says that 60% of its shares are owned by global investors, while 20% are held by founders and 20% by employees.