Zhang Yiming Rushes to Take Singapore Citizenship, ByteDance Now a "Singaporean Company"

On the evening of April 1 (Singapore time), *Lianhe Zaobao* confirmed that Zhang Yiming, co-founder of ByteDance, has officially become a Singaporean citizen. ByteDance also stated that it is now a "Singaporean company with a Singaporean national as its ultimate controller." With this change, Zhang has climbed to 23rd on the 2025 *Forbes* Billionaires List with a net worth of $65.5 billion, making him Singapore’s richest individual and the only Singaporean among the global top 50. As the driving force behind TikTok, which now boasts over 1.2 billion users worldwide, Zhang stepped down from his executive roles at ByteDance in 2021. The timing of his citizenship move has sparked speculation. April 5 marks the U.S. government’s deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. Some observers believe Zhang’s sudden shift in nationality is a strategic move to navigate escalating geopolitical and regulatory pressure.