Julie Gao

ByteDance may be the world’s most important social media company—what other startup could claim to be going toe-to-toe with U.S. presidents? Amid a geopolitical battle over its ­TikTok unit’s future in the U.S., CFO Julie Gao is keeping an eye on the Chinese startup’s monster finances. ByteDance’s investors have sung Gao’s praises as a CFO open and willing to engage with their needs—an unusual quality for normally private Chinese companies. ByteDance is already building up its business outside the U.S., expanding its e-commerce and social media offerings in regions like Southeast Asia and becoming one of China’s AI leaders. A hotly anticipated IPO is likely also on Gao’s mind. ByteDance is one of the planet’s most valuable startups, with investors valuing it as high as $312 billion.