The People Behind ByteDance’s App Factory

To grow fast in China, apparently, you’ve also got to get big.

ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, the viral short video app that has taken the world’s teenagers by storm, has gone on a massive hiring spree in the past year. Its headcount has roughly doubled to 40,000—more than Facebook, which had 35,600 at Dec. 31—as it has diversified beyond its early success, newsfeed app Toutiao. ByteDance now operates more than 20 apps, including Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, fast-growing social network Helo in India as well as a business messaging app, and apps for online learning, jokes, literature and selfies.

In the accompanying chart, The Information reveals the top 106 employees at ByteDance, one of the world’s most valuable venture capital–backed startups, worth $75 billion at its last fundraising.