Who is Zhang Yiming? Age, Biography, Wife, Net Worth, Children, House, Family, Cars, Daughter

Biography

Zhang Yiming (born April 1, 1983) is a celebrated Chinese internet entrepreneur and investor. He is the visionary behind ByteDance, which he founded in 2012. 

Under his leadership, ByteDance flourished with innovations like the news aggregator Toutiao and the video-sharing platform TikTok, formerly recognized as Musical.ly.

Beyond ByteDance, Zhang Yiming has expanded his influence by investing in various tech startups and establishing a personal philanthropic foundation. Despite his remarkable success and wealth, Zhang is distinguished for his modest and unassuming demeanour, often choosing to maintain a low profile in the public domain.

Zhang Yiming
Wiki Facts & About Data
Full Name:	Zhang Yiming
Stage Name:	TikTok Founder
Born:	1 April 1983 (age 41 years old)
Place of Birth:	Yongding, Longyan, China
Nationality:	Chinese
Education:	Nankai University
Height:	1.7 m
Parents:	Mr. & Mrs. Yiming
Siblings:	N/A
Spouse:	Mrs. Yiming
Girlfriend • Partner:	N/A
Children:	N/A
Occupation:	Businessman • Investor
Net Worth:	$43.4 billion (USD)

Early Life & Education

Born in April 1983 in Yongding, Longyan, China, Zhang Yiming, the former CEO of ByteDance, hails from a family of civil servants. As the only son, he was raised by his parents, identified in the media as Mr. and Mrs. Yiming. Information about Zhang‘s potential siblings is not available.

Zhang Yiming pursued his education at Nankai University, a prestigious institution in China, where he earned a degree in microelectronics. Despite achieving success and widespread recognition, Zhang maintains a private demeanour, keeping details about his personal life unknown.

Career

Zhang Yiming, a prominent Chinese internet entrepreneur, has left an indelible mark on the tech industry. Transitioning from an engineering role at a travel website and a brief stint at Microsoft, Yiming decided to pursue his passion, leading to the establishment of ByteDance in 2012.

This decision has proven highly successful, propelling ByteDance into the ranks of the world’s largest and most valuable technology companies. Renowned for its popular apps like TikTok and Douyin, ByteDance is a testament to Yiming’s entrepreneurial spirit and innovative vision, shaping the digital landscape and promising continued influence in the years ahead.

As the founder and CEO of ByteDance, a Chinese multinational internet technology company, Zhang Yiming introduced Toutiao, a news aggregation app, in 2012. Subsequently, he launched TikTok (known as Douyin in China) in 2016. 

Under Yiming‘s leadership, ByteDance has evolved into a global tech giant, boasting a portfolio that includes popular apps like TikTok, Toutiao, Xigua Video, and Resso. His innovative ideas and effective leadership have been pivotal to ByteDance‘s success and expansive growth.

Awards & Nominations

• 2018: Forbes China Businessman of the Year
• 2019: TIME’s 100 Most Influential People
• 2022: Fortune Global 40 Under 40

Social Media

• Twitter handle: Zhang Yiming (@Amb_Yiming)
• LinkedIn: Yiming Zhang – Google

Personal Life

At the age of 41, Zhang Yiming married his college sweetheart, Mrs. Yiming. Despite his success as an entrepreneur and the founder of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, the couple has opted not to have children.

Prioritizing their careers and philanthropic endeavours, the Yimings concentrate on positively impacting society through their work. Zhang Yiming and his wife first met at university. Zhang joined the travel website Kuxun in February 2006, becoming its fifth employee and initial engineer. Within a year, he earned a promotion to technical director.

Zhang Yiming left Kuxun in 2008 for Microsoft, found himself constrained by corporate rules, and subsequently departed for the startup Fanfou, which unfortunately failed. In 2009, during Expedia‘s acquisition of Kuxun, Zhang assumed control of Kuxun‘s real estate search business, founding his first company, 99fang.com. After three years, he decided to exit the business.

Net Worth

Zhang Yiming stands among the wealthiest individuals in China, boasting an estimated net worth of $43.4 billion. This substantial wealth makes him one of the most affluent tech founders globally.

Yiming‘s triumph with TikTok has elevated him to prominence in the tech industry, establishing him as a trailblazer in social media and video-sharing platforms.