ByteDance Valuation Reaches USD 550 Billion in Proposed General Atlantic Sale
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US private equity firm General Atlantic is selling an equity stake in TikTok owner ByteDance, valuing the Chinese company at USD 550 billion, Reuters reported. The pending deal, which would set a new valuation record for ByteDance, was cited by two unnamed sources.
This pending transaction confirms a previous report by the South China Morning Post, which stated ByteDance’s private market valuation had surged to USD 500 billion. That figure was an increase from USD 400 billion as recently as the second quarter of 2025.
General Atlantic initially invested in ByteDance in 2017, according to the firm's website. The sale process for some of its shares began in recent weeks, with Reuters reporting plans for a March closing.
The report did not specify the deal terms or the number of ByteDance shares General Atlantic would own post-transaction.
A source told Reuters that General Atlantic’s USD 550 billion valuation of ByteDance aligns with some of its funds nearing the end of their life cycle.
This proposed sale marks the first since ByteDance finalised a deal with the administration of US President Donald Trump in January. That agreement allowed ByteDance to continue US operations under a new, majority US-owned joint-venture structure.
General Atlantic manages approximately USD 118 billion in assets and has invested about USD 8 billion in around 40 Chinese companies since 2000. These investments include Meituan, and Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post.
In November, General Atlantic Chief Executive Officer William Ford, who is also a ByteDance board member, told the South China Morning Post that Western investors were underestimating Chinese entrepreneurs, and innovation. Ford added that the US-China relationship had reached a “new equilibrium.”
General Atlantic’s proposed equity sale values ByteDance at USD 550 billion.
This USD 550 billion valuation is an increase from the USD 500 billion previously reported, which itself had surged from USD 400 billion as recently as mid-2025.
The sale is expected to close in March. General Atlantic's USD 550 billion valuation of ByteDance comes as some of its funds approach the end of their life cycle.
Source: SCMP
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