TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns under Trump's ban threat
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer has resigned just months after becoming chief executive of the Chinese video-sharing app, prompted by a series of changes to the company's structure "as a result of the Trump administration's action to push for a sell-off of the U.S. business," according to a letter to employees on Thursday seen by CGTN.
"I have decided to leave the company," Mayer said in the letter, explaining that "As the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require... and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon."
In a reply to Mayer's letter," Zhang Yiming, chairman of ByteDance, parent company of TikTok, said, "I fully understand that the resulting outcome that we land upon due to the political circumstances... could have a significant impact on his job in any scenario, but particularly given his global role while he's based in the U.S."
U.S. President Donald Trump on August 6 issued an executive order banning any U.S. transactions with ByteDance starting in 45 days. A week later, Trump signed another executive order, extending the deal time to 90 days.
