TikTok CEO Shou Chew To Join Trump's Inauguration Alongside Musk, Bezos And Zuckerberg Amid Looming US Ban: Report

Ananya Gairola

January 16, 2025

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is reportedly set to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, joining other tech leaders like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos.

What Happened: The Trump Vance Inaugural Committee extended an invitation to TikTok’s CEO, reported the New York Times, citing two people familiar with the plans on Wednesday.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) CEO Sundar Pichai is also expected to attend the event, reported NBC News, citing a Trump transition official.

TikTok and Alphabet did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.

See Also: Analyst Sees ';Broadening Rally' In Semiconductors In 2025: 2 Top Stock Picks, 2 To Avoid

The inauguration ceremony for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance is scheduled for Monday, with festivities beginning on Saturday at Trump’s Virginia golf club.

Why It Matters: TikTok CEO’s invitation to the Trump inauguration comes just days before a potential U.S. ban on the app.

The ban could lead to its removal from platforms like Google Play and the Apple App Store unless its parent company, ByteDance, divests its U.S. operations.

Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.

Already reports of Tesla CEO Musk and other potential buyers making a bid are making rounds.

ByteDance has so far resisted selling, and the Supreme Court has yet to make a definitive ruling after hearing arguments last Friday. Trump has filed an amicus brief urging the court to block the ban, seeking a political resolution instead.

On Thursday, TikTok’s prospects improved as an increasing number of U.S. officials advocated for giving ByteDance additional time to sell the app, reported Reuters.

Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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