Who is Shou Zi Chew? TikTok CEO thanks Trump for halting app ban
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TikTok's chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, gained widespread recognition in 2024 during his evidence before US lawmakers. Despite having led TikTok, a ByteDance subsidiary, since 2021, this appearance brought him into the public eye. A notable clip from the session featured Singapore-born Mr Chew repeatedly clarifying his Singaporean nationality in response to pointed questioning from a US senator.
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Other widely shared moments showed Mr Chew addressing concerns, assuring US media and lawmakers that TikTok did not pose a national security threat. Despite this, the TikTok ban was enacted during the Biden administration but overturned by President Trump on his first day in office.
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Before Mr Trump’s inauguration, Mr Chew posted a message on TikTok on January 18, thanking the new president for pausing the ban, which now has a 75-day reprieve. “On behalf of TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” he said in the video.
Mr Chew has faced backlash for openly praising Mr Trump and referring to him as "President Trump" before his official inauguration on January 20. “Please don’t thank Trump,” one social media user commented, while another wrote, “You’re just as guilty as Musk. More so, because of your nice guy demeanour.”.
