ByteDance boss in a predicament over Trump’s ultimatum on TikTok

Beijing: The Chinese billionaire behind teen phenomenon TikTok is a 37-year-old tech guru whose eye for youth trends has blasted the app to global success—but his inventiveness may not be enough to save the company’s lucrative US market.

Zhang Yiming finds himself under enormous pressure as he tries to assure the world that TikTok is safe and secure, while also protecting his image at home by not appearing to give in to demands from the West.

An offshoot of Zhang’s ByteDance startup, TikTok’s kaleidoscopic feeds of short video clips feature everything from hair dye tutorials to dance routines and jokes about daily life.