Shou Zi Chew (Chinese: 周受资; born 1 January 1983) is a Singaporean business executive who has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of TikTok, an online video platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance, since 2021.[1][2][3]
After graduating from University College London in 2006, Chew worked at Goldman Sachs in London for two years as a banker before he joined Yuri Milner's venture capital firm DST Global.[6] At Russian investment firm DST Global,[10][11][12] Chew led investment into JD.com, Alibaba, and Xiaomi.[10][11][12] He also led a team of early investors in ByteDance in 2013.[6]
In 2015, Chew joined Xiaomi as its chief financial officer.[6] In 2019, he became Xiaomi's foreign business president.[6]
In March 2021, Chew joined ByteDance as its chief financial officer.[13][14] He subsequently replaced TikTok CEO Kevin A. Mayer,[15] who left the ByteDance subsidiary after three months on the job.[16]
In March 2023, Chew testified before the United States Congress regarding the legislative effort to ban TikTok in the United States.[17] He testified again in January 2024, during a United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearing regarding legislation on child internet safety.[18]
He is the honorary chairperson of the 2024 edition of the Met Gala as TikTok is the lead sponsor of the event.[19][20] Chew is also recognized as one of the most impactful Asians in 2024 by Gold House.[21]
In April 24, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a national security bill that Chew claims would inevitably ban TikTok in the United States.[22]
^ abFried, Ina (1 July 2015). "Xiaomi Taps DST Investment Partner Shou Zi Chew to Be CFO". Vox. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023. Chew had been a partner at DST, Yuri Milner's Russian investment firm, and an investor in Xiaomi. At DST, Chew was involved in the firm's investments in Xiaomi, JD.com and Alibaba.
^ ab"China's Xiaomi names DST partner Chew as chief financial officer". Reuters. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023. Chew, one of several bankers who left Goldman Sachs' London office in the late 2000s to join Russian billionaire Yuri Milner's DST, has been involved in the fund's investment in e-commerce firms Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and JD.com Inc, as well as Didi Dache, China's leading ride-hailing app. / Although DST's investment in Xiaomi originated from Milner's longstanding relationship with Xiaomi co-founder and chief executive Lei Jun, Chew, a Singaporean national known for his analytical skills, has been a key behind-the-scenes booster for Xiaomi during recent capital-raising deals.
^ abDou, Eva. "Shou Zi Chew Joins Xiaomi as CFO". WSJ. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023. a former partner of Russian investment firm DST Global has joined [Xiaomi] as chief financial officer, its latest hire of a senior executive with an international background. / Shou Zi Chew, a Singaporean, had joined billionaire investor Yuri Milner's DST Global in 2010, and was involved in the company's investments in Xiaomi and other Chinese tech companies, Xiaomi said.