Without Steve Jobs, TikTok might not have existed

The story of TikTok's launch shows how visionary ideas, similar to those of Steve Jobs, can take unexpected paths that have a profound impact on global technology and culture.

A recent examination of court documents and business transactions reveals a complex web of investments and technological pivots that trace back to an obscure Chinese real estate company.

In 2009, Susquehanna International Group, a company known for its strategic market placements, invested in a promising Chinese real estate startup called 99Fang, which had a sophisticated search algorithm. While the company didn't live up to its commercial expectations, it laid the groundwork for what would become ByteDance, TikTok's parent company.

During this transition period, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming, inspired by Jobs' life, envisioned a new direction that would shift from real estate to entertainment and media. According to a report from , he laid the foundation for TikTok The New York Times.

“Our search, image processing, recommendation, etc. are very powerful,” Mr. Zhang wrote in an email in 2012. “But these things applied to real estate are very limited.”

The detailed court filings, a focus of the audit, indicate that Susquehanna's involvement was instrumental in transitioning the technology from its original real estate application to a platform capable of hosting dynamic, user-driven content. The Pivot reflects Jobs' ability to recognize and use technology in transformative ways that are redefining industries.

Current debates and the future of TikTok

While TikTok enjoys its worldwide popularity as one of the most interesting platforms, it is also under intense scrutiny. US lawmakers are currently engaged in a heated debate over the potential national security risks that could arise from Chinese ownership of TikTok.

Some proposals could lead to drastic measures, such as a ban on the app or the forced divestment of its US operations.

The discourse comes against the backdrop of broader tensions between the US and China, spanning trade, technology and geopolitical rivalries. The results of these debates could not only shape the future of TikTok, but also set precedents for international technology governance.