Shou Zi Chew, who once interned at Facebook, now Meta, and is today the CEO of TikTok, and is competing with Mark Zuckerberg’s company.
Born in Singapore, Chew earned a degree in economics from University College London and later completed an MBA from Harvard Business School. During his studies, he did a summer internship at Facebook, gaining early exposure to the tech world. This experience would later play a role in shaping his understanding of social media and technology companies.
Chew’s professional journey took off when he joined Chinese tech giant Xiaomi in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). At Xiaomi, he played a key role in the company’s stock market listing and worked there for nearly six years, building a strong reputation in the tech and finance sectors.
In 2021, Chew moved to ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, initially serving as CFO. Later that year, he was appointed CEO of TikTok, a move that reshaped the company’s strategies and accelerated its global growth.
Under Chew’s leadership, TikTok’s popularity soared. The app now has over 1 billion users worldwide, making it one of the fastest-growing social media platforms. In the United States alone, TikTok has more than 150 million users. Interestingly, Meta had tried to acquire Musical.ly in 2016, which ByteDance later bought and merged with TikTok. Meta’s own short-video app, Lasso, failed and shut down in 2020.
However, TikTok’s rapid rise has not been without controversy. The US government has repeatedly raised concerns about data security, and Chew has had to defend the platform before lawmakers multiple times.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
