With popular apps like TikTok and Douyin and other AI-powered platforms driving strong growth, ByteDance is now reportedly reaching a valuation of around $550 billion. Early investor General Atlantic is planning a secondary share sale that would allow it to sell part of its stake to new investors, effectively setting the Chinese tech giant’s valuation at this record level, reports Reuters. The proposed deal does not inject new capital into ByteDance itself but provides early investors with an opportunity to earn gains after nearly a decade of investment. Notably, General Atlantic first invested in ByteDance in 2017, when the company’s valuation was estimated at just $20 billion.
The move becomes even more notable as in 2025, an internal employee share buyback valued the company at around $330 billion, while later secondary market transactions suggested a valuation closer to $480 billion. And now, if General Atlantic’s sale is executed at the $550 billion mark, it would represent a significant premium over prior benchmarks and highlight investor confidence in the company’s long-term growth, profitability, and global market influence. The company’s shareholder base already includes a mix of global and domestic investors, like KKR, Susquehanna International Group, Primavera Capital Group, and HSG.
ByteDance’s growth is fueled by the massive global adoption of its consumer apps. Especially, TikTok has become one of the most widely used social platforms in the world, with about 1.6 billion monthly active users globally. At the same time, the company’s domestic platform in China, Douyin, remains a dominant force, with hundreds of millions of active users engaging in content creation, live commerce, and social interaction. Estimates suggest that Douyin’s user base exceeds 760 million monthly active users and continues to grow steadily as it integrates more commerce features and AI‑enhanced recommendation systems. Collectively, these platforms have made ByteDance one of the most profitable digital media companies in the world, with estimated 2025 profits of around $48 billion.
Even beyond social media, the Liang Rubo-led firm has expanded aggressively into artificial intelligence. Its Doubao AI assistant and enterprise AI solutions have emerged as standout successes among Chinese AI products. For example, during China’s Lunar New Year holiday period, Doubao reportedly attracted over 100 million daily active users. In parallel, the company’s advanced AI model, Seedance 2.0, has generated wide interest in China and online communities for its ability to produce high-quality AI-generated footage.
Meanwhile, the planned secondary sale by General Atlantic comes amid improving regulatory clarity, particularly in the United States. ByteDance has advanced plans to restructure TikTok’s US operations to address national security concerns, including provisions for majority American ownership and stricter data governance. This progress reduces the risk of regulatory obstacles that have historically weighed on ByteDance’s valuation and allows investors to view the company’s growth prospects with greater certainty.
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