Zhang Yiming’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2019 | $16.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $16.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $35.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $50 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $45 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $43.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $65.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $69.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $84 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
Zhang Yiming’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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Zhang Yiming has an estimated net worth of $84 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Zhang Yiming profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $16.2 billion in 2019.
Zhang Yiming is a Chinese Internet entrepreneur best known as the main cofounder of ByteDance. He started the company in 2012 in a four-bedroom Beijing apartment with Liang Rubo. ByteDance later built Toutiao, Douyin and the international app TikTok. Before that, Zhang worked at Kuxun, joined Microsoft for a short time, spent time at Fanfou, and then started 99fang.com. Forbes also included him on its China 30 Under 30 list in 2013.
His wealth comes from ByteDance, the technology company behind TikTok. Zhang focused on using artificial intelligence to recommend content, and that idea helped ByteDance grow quickly. Toutiao attracted more than 13 million daily users soon after launch. In 2017, ByteDance rolled out TikTok internationally, and in 2018 it bought Musical.ly for US$800 million and folded it into TikTok. ByteDance also has businesses in e-commerce, education, gaming and news.
How Zhang Yiming built his fortune
Zhang made his money by building ByteDance into a major technology company. He founded it in 2012 after earlier jobs at Kuxun, Microsoft and Fanfou, plus a period running 99fang.com. ByteDance first drew wide attention with the Toutiao news app. Zhang's central idea was to send relevant content to users through recommendations powered by artificial intelligence, instead of depending only on standard search methods inside mobile apps.
That base later expanded into short video. In 2017, ByteDance launched TikTok outside China, while Douyin served users in China. In 2018, the company bought Musical.ly for US$800 million and merged it into TikTok. Forbes says TikTok has more than 1 billion users worldwide. ByteDance also has interests in e-commerce, education, gaming and news, and in China its Doubao AI assistant reached 345 million monthly active users in the first quarter of 2026.
Forbes net worth timeline
Forbes valued Zhang at $16.2 billion in 2019, and it used the same figure again in 2020. The estimate then rose to $35.6 billion in 2021 and $50 billion in 2022, before easing to $45 billion in 2023 and $43.4 billion in 2024. In that same 2021 period, Zhang stepped away from daily leadership, resigning as CEO earlier in the year and later leaving the chairman role at ByteDance.
The latest Forbes numbers show another big move upward. Forbes put him at $65.5 billion in 2025 and $69.3 billion in 2026. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker shows $84 billion. ByteDance's size helps explain that level. Forbes says TikTok has more than 1 billion users worldwide, and the company kept broad reach through products tied to video, news, AI and other areas of technology.
Career and money timeline
- 2006
He became the fifth employee and first engineer at Kuxun.
- 2009
He started 99fang.com after taking over Kuxun's real estate search business.
- 2012
He cofounded ByteDance in a four-bedroom Beijing apartment.
- 2013
Forbes named him to its China 30 Under 30 list.
- 2017
ByteDance launched TikTok internationally.
- 2018
ByteDance bought Musical.ly for US$800 million and integrated it into TikTok.
- 2021
He stepped down as CEO and later left the chairman role at ByteDance.
Zhang Yiming net worth FAQ
What is Zhang Yiming's net worth?
Zhang Yiming's net worth is an estimated $84 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Zhang Yiming profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Zhang Yiming get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: TikTok.
Is Zhang Yiming a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Zhang Yiming is worth $84 billion.
How has Zhang Yiming's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $16.2 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $84 billion (October 20, 2026).
What is Zhang Yiming best known for?
He is best known for founding ByteDance and helping create TikTok, along with Toutiao and Douyin.
What is Zhang Yiming's net worth according to Forbes?
Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker shows $84 billion as of October 20, 2026.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Zhang Yiming profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Zhang Yiming profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Zhang Yiming profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Zhang Yiming profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Zhang Yiming profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Zhang Yiming profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Zhang Yiming profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Zhang Yiming profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Zhang Yiming profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Zhang Yiming (accessed October 20, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: CEO Magazine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.