ByteDance’s Zhang Yiming Adds $14 Billion in 2025 as Musk and Bezos Face Major Setbacks
Beijing: In a surprising shift in billionaire fortunes, Zhang Yiming, the visionary behind ByteDance, has emerged as one of the year’s biggest financial winners. His net worth has surged by nearly $14 billion since the beginning of 2025—an impressive 31% jump, bringing his total fortune to $57.5 billion.
Zhang, who co-founded ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok and Toutiao, has now become China’s wealthiest individual and Asia’s third-richest person, trailing only Indian business titans Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
ByteDance’s Explosive Growth Fuels Wealth Surge
ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing, now boasts a global user base exceeding 1 billion, with reported revenue exceeding $110 billion in 2023. This exponential growth has played a pivotal role in boosting Zhang’s wealth, especially amid a challenging year for tech stocks globally.
Zhang currently ranks 23rd worldwide in terms of personal fortune—a remarkable climb, especially as many of his peers have faced steep financial declines.
Tech Titans See Billions Erased in 2025
In stark contrast, tech giants like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have endured sharp losses this year. Musk, heavily impacted by market turmoil linked to new U.S. tariffs under Donald Trump’s leadership, saw Tesla’s valuation tumble by $159 billion in just three trading days, leading to a personal loss of $135 billion.
Musk holds 13% of Tesla and 42% of SpaceX, which had an estimated valuation of $350 billion at the end of 2024. Yet, these stakes were not enough to shield him from a massive net worth reduction due to the stock market slump.
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, recorded a decline of $43 billion, largely due to underperformance in tech stocks and investor concerns over retail margins.
Other Notable Billionaire Moves in 2025
Despite the downturn, a few billionaires have managed to grow their fortunes significantly. Both Jeff Yass (of Susquehanna International Group) and Warren Buffett have each added $11.5 billion this year.
Yass’s wealth comes from Susquehanna’s stake in ByteDance, estimated at 15%, while Buffett’s investments through Berkshire Hathaway have weathered market turbulence better than many tech-heavy portfolios. Buffett, now worth $153.5 billion, ranks as the fourth-richest person globally and remains one of only two among the top 20 billionaires to see gains in 2025.
Meanwhile, other high-profile tech entrepreneurs have also faced sharp declines:
- Larry Ellison (Oracle): Lost $45 billion
- Michael Dell (Dell Technologies): Down $35 billion
- Larry Page (Alphabet): Also down $35 billion
Global Wealth Landscape Shifting Amid Market Turmoil
The reshuffling of billionaire rankings in 2025 highlights the growing divergence in global wealth accumulation, driven by geopolitical tensions, regulatory policies, and tech market volatility. While Chinese companies like ByteDance continue their meteoric rise, traditional tech giants in the U.S. are facing turbulent waters.
Zhang Yiming’s rise amid the chaos underscores the resilience of Chinese tech and the growing influence of Asia’s billionaire class on the global financial stage.