TikTok’s ownership changed for real in January 2026. After years of political back-and-forth over its Chinese ownership, ByteDance and TikTok signed binding agreements to move US operations into a new entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, with American and allied investors taking the largest combined stake.
I want to walk through the actual numbers here because “TikTok ban” headlines from the past few years made this sound simpler than it turned out to be — this is a joint venture, not a full sale, and ByteDance hasn’t fully exited.
Quick Facts
| Entity | TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC (US operations) |
|---|---|
| Managing Investors | Oracle Corporation, Silver Lake, MGX (Abu Dhabi) |
| Managing Investors’ Combined Stake | 45% |
| Existing ByteDance Investor Affiliates | ~33% |
| ByteDance Retained Stake | ~20% |
| Deal Closed | January 22, 2026 |
| Also Includes | Lemon8, CapCut (US operations) |
Ownership History
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 2016 | ByteDance launches Douyin in China, the domestic version of what becomes TikTok |
| 2018 | ByteDance merges Douyin’s international version with Musical.ly to create the global TikTok app |
| 2020-2024 | US government pushes for TikTok’s Chinese ownership to be addressed over national security concerns, including a federal law requiring divestment or a ban |
| December 2025 | ByteDance and TikTok sign binding agreements with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX to form a new US joint venture |
| January 22, 2026 | TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC deal formally closes, restructuring US operations under majority American/allied ownership |
Key Ownership Highlights
- This is structured as a joint venture, not a full sale — ByteDance retains roughly 20% of the new US entity rather than exiting completely.
- Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX together hold the largest combined stake at 45%, giving US and allied capital effective control of the American operation.
- The joint venture’s scope extends beyond the TikTok app itself to cover Lemon8 and CapCut, ByteDance’s other consumer apps operating in the US.
- US data protection, algorithm security, and content moderation for American users now formally sit under the joint venture’s remit rather than ByteDance directly.
FAQ
Does ByteDance still own TikTok?
ByteDance retains roughly 20% of the new US joint venture and a larger global stake in TikTok outside the US, but it no longer holds majority control of US operations following the January 2026 deal.
Who are the new controlling investors in TikTok’s US business?
Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX collectively hold 45% of TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, the entity now overseeing US operations.
