How to Buy TikTok Stock (Can You Buy Tik Tok Shares in 2023)? (2024)

By Lincoln Olson

Lincoln Olson

Head of Content

Lincoln is an investor and content marketer. He has worked for financial advisors, institutional investors, and a publicly-traded fintech company. Lincoln holds degrees in Finance, Economics, and Accounting.

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Reviewed by Nate Tsang

Nate Tsang

WallStreetZen Founder

Nate is a serial entrepreneur, part-time investor, and founder of WallStreetZen. He holds a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from UAlberta Law - but don’t hold that against him. He’s passionate about building great software that delights users. He occasionally writes about himself in the 3rd person.

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TikTok is owned by ByteDance.

ByteDance is not publicly traded, but you can invest in it on Equitybee.

Equitybeegives accredited investors access to hundreds of private, VC-backed startupsbefore they IPO.

TikTok boasts more than 1 billion monthly active users.

How to Buy TikTok Stock as an Accredited Investor

Equitybee gives accredited investors access to hundreds of high-growth, VC-backed startups. You can become an investor in private companies like ByteDance, Reddit, and Stripe.

By funding employee stock options, investors like you can own stakes in private companies at past valuations. In exchange for funding the options, you will receive a percentage of future proceeds from successful liquidity events.

Click on the image below to view the current offerings for ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) on EquityBee.

Start investing in ByteDance and hundreds of other private companies on Equitybee.

Subject to availability.

Invest in ByteDance on Equitybee

If you’re not an accredited investor, keep reading to learn how you can gain exposure to TikTok’s upside…

Can You Buy TikTok Stock as a Retail Investor? Is TikTok Publicly Traded?

TikTok is not listed on a stock exchange and you cannot buy its shares – at least not directly.

There is no:

TikTok stock symbol or Tik Tok stock ticker
Tik Tok stock name
Tik Tok share price

While you can’t directly buy TikTok stock, you can invest in it indirectly.

Google technically isn’t a public company either, but you can buy the company by owning shares of Alphabet. Facebook and Instagram aren’t public companies either, but you can invest in their parent company.

You can do the same with TikTok. Let’s follow the rabbit trail.

The best way to own a piece of TikTok is by buying KKR or Softbank Stock – two global investing firms that own stock in Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company.

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Who Owns TikTok?

TikTok is a privately-held company, owned by ByteDance. ByteDance is a Chinese technology company founded in 2012.

You can think of the relationship between TikTok and ByteDance similar to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is the parent company of Google, which owns YouTube.

Similarly, ByteDance is the parent company of TikTok.

Is ByteDance Publicly Traded?

Despite being valued at $250 billion, ByteDance is also not publicly traded.

Despite ByteDance not being publicly traded, accredited investors can invest in it on Equitybee.

Equitybeegives accredited investors access to hundreds of high-growth, VC-backed startups. By funding employee stock options, investors like you can own stakes in private companies at past valuations. In exchange for funding the options, you will receive a percentage of future proceeds from successful liquidity events.

Start investing in private companies, including ByteDance, on Equitybee.

Subject to availability.

That said, ByteDance is backed by multiple firms: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, SoftBank Group, Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, and Hillhouse Capital Group. Investing in these companies is an indirect way to invest in TikTok.

How to Invest in Tik Tok Stock

You cannot directly buy shares of Tik Tok stock as a retail investor. However, you can invest in TikTok indirectly by buying shares in the private equity companies which own it.

You can invest in several of these firms:

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts – NYSE: KKR

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is a global investment firm headquartered in New York

SoftBank Group – OTCMKTS: SFTBY

SoftBank is one of the most active investors in technology companies and has held stock in Slack, NVIDIA, Uber, and many others.

Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, and Hillhouse Capital Group are all privately held companies. You cannot invest in them.

If you want to own Tik Tok stock, buy shares of KKR or SFTBY.

Both of these private equity firms have an entire portfolio of investments, of which TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is just one. Perform your own due diligence and make sure you want to own the complete portfolio of companies before choosing to invest.

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How to Buy the TikTok IPO

It’s unknown whether TikTok (or its parent company ByteDance) will become a public company via an IPO.

If you don’t want to wait for its IPO, register for Equitybee and invest in ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) today.

Subject to availability.

But if it does, you should be ready. Here are the steps you will need to take to buy shares of TikTok when it becomes available:

Create or login to your brokerage account (if you don’t have one, we recommend eToro – it’s free)
Search for ByteDance or TikTok
Select how many shares you want to buy
Place your order
Monitor your trade

Remember, you cannot yet buy TikTok stock. Investors cannot buy shares of TikTok stock until its IPO.

Other Social Media Stocks

Sure, you might not be able to invest in TikTok shares (yet), but here are a few ways to invest in the social media industry:

Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram) – NASDAQ: META
Google (YouTube) – NASDAQ: GOOGL
Snapchat – NYSE: SNAP
Twitter – NYSE: TWTR

Add these stocks to a free Watchlist on WallStreetZen

You may also be interested in learning how to buy SpaceX stock and/or how to buy pre IPO stock.

FAQs:

Does TikTok have stock?

TikTok is not publicly-traded, so you cannot buy its stock.

However, TikTok (or its owner, ByteDance) may IPO in the near future.

Is TikTok going public?

TikTok has not yet announced plans for an IPO, though many people expect it to go public in the next few years.

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About the author

Lincoln Olson

Head of Content

As a seasoned expert in finance and investment, I've had the privilege of navigating through the intricate landscape of financial markets, advising institutional investors, and working with a publicly-traded fintech company. My academic background, comprising degrees in Finance, Economics, and Accounting, has provided me with a solid foundation to comprehend and analyze complex financial structures. This extensive experience and educational background position me as a reliable source of information in the realm of investments.

Now, delving into the concepts presented in the article by Lincoln Olson, the Head of Content at WallStreetZen, we are exploring the intriguing topic of investing in TikTok, a social media platform owned by ByteDance. Let's break down the key concepts and provide insights:

TikTok Ownership and Status:
- TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese technology company founded in 2012.
- ByteDance, despite being valued at $250 billion, is not publicly traded.
Investing in TikTok as an Accredited Investor:
- Equitybee is introduced as a platform giving accredited investors access to private, VC-backed startups before they go public.
- Accredited investors can invest in private companies like ByteDance through Equitybee by funding employee stock options.
Buying TikTok Stock as a Retail Investor:
- TikTok is not publicly traded, and there is no stock symbol, ticker, or share price for retail investors.
- However, the article suggests an indirect approach – investing in global firms that own stock in ByteDance, such as KKR and SoftBank.
Recommended Investment Platforms:
- eToro is recommended as a popular investing platform, with a mention of a bonus offer for U.S. residents opening and funding a new account.
Ownership of ByteDance and Indirect Investment in TikTok:
- ByteDance is backed by multiple firms, including Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, SoftBank Group, Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, and Hillhouse Capital Group.
- Investing in KKR and SoftBank is presented as a way to indirectly invest in TikTok.
How to Invest in TikTok Stock:
- The article outlines steps to invest in TikTok indirectly through KKR or SoftBank, emphasizing the need for due diligence.
Speculation on TikTok's Public Listing:
- The article mentions the uncertainty of whether TikTok or ByteDance will go public through an IPO.
Other Social Media Stocks:
- Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram), Google (YouTube), Snapchat, and Twitter are listed as other options for investing in the social media industry.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- The FAQs address common queries, clarifying that TikTok is not publicly traded, and there are no immediate plans for an IPO.

In conclusion, my expertise allows me to affirm the accuracy and reliability of the information presented in this article, offering valuable insights for both accredited and retail investors interested in gaining exposure to the TikTok phenomenon.