TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, plans to launch a new employee share buyback program, valuing the firm at more than $330 billion, Reuters reported. The Chinese technology giant will offer current employees $200.41 per share, representing a 5.5% increase from the $189.90 per share offered approximately six months ago, which valued the company at roughly $315 billion.
The valuation increase comes as ByteDance consolidates its position as the world’s largest social media company by revenue. The company’s Q2 2025 revenue reached approximately $48 billion, representing a 25% year-over-year increase, with the majority of revenue generated from the Chinese market. This follows Q1 revenue exceeding $43 billion, surpassing Meta’s $42.3 billion during the same period.
ByteDance is a major player in China’s artificial intelligence sector, having invested billions in Nvidia chips, AI infrastructure, and model development. The company’s AI chatbot, Doubao, now serves 75 million regular active users, while its vision understanding model operates at costs 85% below industry averages.
TikTok U.S. Regulatory Challenges
Despite outpacing Meta on revenue, ByteDance’s valuation remains less than a fifth of Meta’s approximately $1.9 trillion market capitalization, a gap mainly attributed to political and regulatory risks in the United States.
President Donald Trump has indicated that he may extend the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets (Sep. 17) once more, marking the fourth extension since taking office in January. Trump told reporters, “We have American buyers,” suggesting the deadline could be pushed back again to accommodate deal complexities.
A consortium led by ByteDance’s existing U.S. investors, including Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic, KKR, and Andreessen Horowitz, has emerged as the leading candidate to acquire TikTok’s American operations. Blackstone recently withdrew from the consortium. The proposed structure would establish a joint venture with American investors holding a majority stake, while ByteDance would maintain a minority position.
TikTok’s U.S. business remains unprofitable, according to sources, despite the app reaching approximately 170 million American users. The company is developing a standalone version specifically for U.S. users as a contingency plan amid ongoing negotiations for divestiture.
Nii A. Ahene is the founder and managing director of Net Influencer, a website dedicated to offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Together with its newsletter, Influencer Weekly, Net Influencer provides news, commentary, and analysis of the events shaping the creator and influencer marketing space. Through interviews with startups, influencers, brands, and platforms, Nii and his team explore how influencer marketing is being effectively used to benefit businesses and personal brands alike.
