How did Zhang Yiming, worth 65.5 billion USD, come to be?

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has just become the richest person in China, with a net worth of $65.5 billion. What does this number mean? It surpasses established tycoons like Zhong Shanshan and Ma Huateng.

Interestingly, this guy was born in 1983 in Longyan, Fujian, and he is a typical tech-savvy man—graduated with a degree in Software Engineering from Nankai University. He founded ByteDance in 2012, and it has only been 12 years. The company's revenue skyrocketed to 110 billion USD last year. This growth rate is considered top-tier in the Chinese internet industry.

From Toutiao to TikTok, Zhang Yiming has turned a news aggregation app into a global phenomenon. The key is that he was not shackled by wealth and power—he voluntarily stepped down from the CEO position in 2021 to focus on long-term strategy and organizational culture. This is indeed rare in the fast-paced internet circle.

His path to success is actually quite simple:

• Seize the opportunity: He has thoroughly understood the information flow in this field.
• Global Mindset: Not satisfied with the domestic market, TikTok aims for the global market.
• Continuous Innovation: The recommendation algorithm is constantly iterating.
• Know to Delegate: The CEO doesn't have to do everything himself.

From a coder to the helm of the world's most valuable startup, Zhang Yichen has proven a fact: in the tech field, innovation and execution can sometimes be worth more than background and capital.