Can You Buy TikTok Stock?

These days, TikTok is extremely popular, but you can't purchase its stock. Neither TikTok nor its parent company ByteDance is a publicly traded company, so it's not possible to buy shares in either. However, there are alternative ways to get some exposure to TikTok or invest in other social media platforms. For instance, in 2025, if you want to buy any stock, you need to have a brokerage account first.

Nowadays, social media plays a significant role in our lives. Take Weibo in China, for example, it has a massive user base and has had a considerable impact on people's communication and information sharing.

Is There Any Way to Invest in TikTok?

Although you can't directly invest in TikTok stock, there are a few indirect methods to gain some exposure to it. One way is to invest in publicly traded companies that hold privately held shares of ByteDance, such as SoftBank Group (SFTBY). Another option is to work for TikTok. There are approximately 7,000 TikTok employees in the U.S., and they may be granted company stock and have the opportunity to sell their investments. According to a report, ByteDance will allow its shares held by U.S. employees to vest, meaning those employees can cash out their restricted shares through the company's stock buyback program. However, putting in so much effort to gain exposure to just one stock might not be the best use of your time. A more effective strategy for building long-term wealth could be to invest in funds that hold the stocks of many companies, like index funds or exchange-traded funds.

Will TikTok Go Public in the Future?

It's difficult to predict. A few years ago, there were rumors that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, was planning to go public, but it hasn't happened yet. Moreover, Reuters' exclusive report suggests that ByteDance's move to allow its U.S. employees to cash in their vested shares might indicate that the company may not be planning to go public soon.

What about the TikTok Ban?

ByteDance is facing a lot of pressure to sell TikTok. By January 19, 2025, ByteDance will have to sell TikTok; otherwise, the social media platform will be banned in the U.S. The ban will prevent app stores from offering TikTok and internet hosting services from supporting it. There have been several challenges to this law, including lawsuits from TikTok content creators and one from TikTok itself. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments for the case in September 2024. The uncertainty around this situation makes the future of a potential TikTok stock unclear. But if a public company buys TikTok, there might be an opportunity to buy stock in that company.

Other Social Media Platforms

One of the main social media platforms where you can buy stock is Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp). You can also consider investing in Pinterest.

文章来源：nerdwallet

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