ByteDance set for $50 billion profit in 2025 as TikTok fuels e-commerce surge

ByteDance Ltd. is on track to post profits of around $50 billion in 2025, capping a record year for the Chinese social media major as it deepens its push into e-commerce, livestream shopping, and overseas markets, as per a Bloomberg report.

The Beijing-based parent of TikTok has already generated roughly $40 billion in net income during the first three quarters of the year, according to people familiar with the matter. That performance has exceeded ByteDance’s internal profit targets for 2025 and places its earnings close to those of US rival Meta Platforms Inc., which is projected to earn about $60 billion this year.

The milestone comes as TikTok remains under intense scrutiny in the United States, where national security concerns have driven efforts to force a restructuring of its ownership. TikTok chief executive Shou Chew recently told employees that ByteDance has signed binding agreements to create a US joint venture that would be majority-owned by American investors, including Oracle Corp.. Approval from Chinese regulators remains a key hurdle for the deal.

Despite regulatory pressure in Washington, TikTok has continued to scale rapidly, particularly in the US. The platform is pushing aggressively into e-commerce and livestream shopping, including partnerships with major American technology firms such as Amazon.com Inc.. It has also stepped up brand-building efforts, recently hosting its first TikTok Awards event in Los Angeles.

Revenue growth remains strong but is showing signs of moderation. ByteDance had earlier targeted a roughly 20 percent increase in 2025 revenue to about $186 billion. That would still put it just below Meta’s projected $200 billion topline, underscoring how closely the Chinese firm now rivals the world’s largest social media companies in scale.

Founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming, ByteDance operates some of China’s most widely used digital platforms, including Toutiao and Douyin. The company is also stepping up investments in artificial intelligence, competing with domestic heavyweights such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. across large language models, chatbots, and AI-powered services.

While TikTok is increasingly carrying the burden of global growth, Douyin remains ByteDance’s largest revenue driver. However, the China-focused app is facing pressure from slowing consumption and weaker advertising demand in the domestic market, raising questions about how long the company can sustain its recent pace of expansion.