ByteDance Ltd.

The Beijing-based parent company that built TikTok and now cedes U.S. operational control. - Retains 19.9% non-controlling stake

For five years, the world's most popular social media app lived under a death sentence. TikTok, used by 170 million Americans, faced repeated ban threats from two administrations convinced its Chinese ownership posed an unacceptable national security risk. On January 23, 2026, that uncertainty ended: TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC became operational, transferring 80.1% ownership to American and allied investors while ByteDance retained a non-controlling 19.9% stake.

Updated Jan 25

TikTok’s Chinese owner and the legal reason the U.S. sell-or-ban regime exists. - Retains 19.9% ownership in TikTok U.S. entity; loses data access and algorithm control over American operations

The deal closed on January 22, 2026. TikTok's U.S. operations now belong to TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC—a new entity where Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi's MGX each hold 15%, existing ByteDance investor affiliates hold 30.1%, and ByteDance itself retains exactly 19.9%. The ownership math clears the statutory threshold, but the hard work starts now: Oracle must replicate and retrain the recommendation algorithm on U.S. user data alone, while ByteDance loses access to American data flows and direct control over the feed that made TikTok dominant.

Updated Jan 22