ByteDance valuation said to hit record US$550 billion in proposed equity sale

US private equity firm General Atlantic is selling an equity stake in TikTok owner ByteDance in a deal that raises its valuation of the private Chinese company to US$550 billion, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing two unnamed sources.

The deal, still pending, confirms a previous report by the South China Morning Post in December that ByteDance’s valuation had surged to US$500 billion on the private market, up from US$400 billion as recently as the second quarter of 2025.

General Atlantic first invested in ByteDance in 2017, according to its website. The firm started the process of selling some of its shares in recent weeks, with plans to close the sale in March, according to Reuters.

The report did not specify deal terms or the number of ByteDance shares General Atlantic would own after the transaction closes. General Atlantic and ByteDance did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

General Atlantic’s valuation of ByteDance at US$550 billion came as some of its funds approach the end of their life cycle, a source told Reuters.

The proposed sale would be the first since ByteDance finalised a deal with the administration of US President Donald Trump in January to continue operations in the US under a new joint-venture structure that would be majority US owned.