Zhang Yiming

At only 41, Zhang Yiming has already founded the world’s most valuable startup, and both Bloomberg and Forbes ranked him as China’s richest man in March. ByteDance has radically influenced culture around the world, thanks to its massive success with video-sharing platforms TikTok and Douyin. TikTok still faces the threat of a U.S. ban, but as of now the platform remains accessible to American users as politicians scramble to find a solution. Zhang stepped down as ByteDance’s CEO and chairman in 2021, handing over the reins to Liang Rubo, who has both roles today. Yet Zhang reportedly is still involved in decision-making at the company, with Reuters suggesting the tech founder still holds the majority of voting shares.