TikTok CEO Chew to testify before U.S. lawmakers

Since taking the job in 2021, TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew has mostly kept a low profile, but on Thursday he is testifying before U.S. lawmakers, many of whom are suspicious of the popular Chinese-owned social media app.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Chew was an investment banker at the investment firm DST, which was an early backer of ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is under pressure from some lawmakers to ban TikTok over national security concerns at a time when U.S.-China relations have deteriorated.

The 40-year-old Chew, born and raised in Singapore, was also Chief Financial Officer of Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi and left there to join ByteDance in March 2021 and became CEO two months later.

TikTok pointed out in a letter to lawmakers last year that Chew was not from China and that the company is independent of ByteDance. Chew served in the Singaporean military during his mandatory conscription and went on to obtain an economics degree at the University College of London and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Chew, who is married and has two children, raised his public profile last year by creating his own TikTok account, shou.time. He doesn't allow his children to use TikTok because they are too young, he said in interviews.

His TikTok account, which has more than 18,700 followers, shows him attending sporting and cultural events, socializing with celebrities and other images typical of most social media users.

He has posted an appeal to American users of TikTok to help resist any potential ban by Washington.

This is a pivotal moment for us. This could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you, Chew said on Monday as he prepared to testify to the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Chew told the media that TikTok does not threaten U.S. interests. He said in videos that 5 million U.S. businesses use TikTok, and that it is a showcase for creators.