Background
Amid growing global suspicion of TikTok that may lead to a US ban of the Chinese app, the spotlight has now fallen on its enigmatic chief executive Shou Zi Chew. The 40-year-old Singaporean will testify before the US House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday about the app’s data security and privacy practices, and its alleged ties to Beijing. Little is known about the way he operates or even how much power he truly holds at the company. BBC
Greatest challenge
Mr Chew now faces one of the biggest challenges of his career with TikTok, as US lawmakers call for the company to divest ownership of its US assets or face a ban. The issue has become a sticking point for the Chinese as well. BBC
Early life and education
Chew was born on 1 January 1983 in Singapore. His father reportedly worked in construction and his mother in bookkeeping. Upon graduating from Hwa Chong Institution, Chew went on to serve National Service in the Singapore Armed Forces. After his military service, Chew went on to study at University College London in England. He graduated from the college in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in economics. In 2010, he completed a Master of Business Administration degree at Harvard Business School, and while there completed a summer internship at Facebook prior to its IPO. Wikipedia
Career
After graduating from University College London in 2006, he stayed on in London to work as a banker for the Goldman Sachs Group for two years before he joined Yuri Milner’s venture capital firm DST Global. At DST Global, Chew led investment into JD.com, Alibaba, and Xiaomi, and he also led a team of early investors in ByteDance in 2013. In 2015, Chew joined Xiaomi as its chief financial officer; in 2019 he became Xiaomi’s foreign business president. In March 2021, Chew joined ByteDance as its chief financial officer and subsequently replaced TikTok CEO Kevin A. Mayer, stepping into the role of TikTok CEO two months later. Wikipedia
Public scrutiny and congressional testimony
TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew is expected to face aggressive questioning from US lawmakers. He testified before the United States Congress regarding the legislative effort to ban TikTok in the United States. Following the testimony, then senator Marco Rubio requested the U.S. Department of Justice investigate Chew for perjury. Chew testified again in January 2024, during a United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearing regarding legislation on child internet safety. BBC Wikipedia
Recent developments (selected)
- He set up his own TikTok account @shou.time to showcase glimpses of his personal life and has appeared in major media interviews appealing directly to users. BBC
- Legislative and executive actions in the United States in 2024–2025 led to orders and votes regarding divestiture or banning of TikTok, with enforcement timelines adjusted by successive administrations. Wikipedia
Share Your Thoughts
- What impact could Shou Zi Chew’s congressional testimony and the attention on TikTok have on global tech policy?
- Do you agree with how media and lawmakers have framed TikTok’s risks and responsibilities?
- How should policymakers balance national-security concerns with consumer access to global platforms?
- What lessons can other global tech companies learn from the scrutiny faced by TikTok and its CEO?