A look at the ByteDance investors who have billions in paper profits blocked by the US regulatory standoff over TikTok; source: Sequoia China holds a 10%+ stake
The world's most valuable startup does more than any other investment to put VCs on the Forbes Midas List, including its No. 1.
For Top VCs, ByteDance's Historic Windfall Remains A $220 Billion Mirage ...were ByteDance to go public, it would likely supplant Alibaba's public offering, which raised $25 billion at a market cap of $231 billion in 2014, as the largest tech IPO ever. https://www.forbes.com/...
But while some early ByteDance VCs have cashed out, and others are looking to, the blocks of shares moving on secondary markets, even at prices less than half its all-time highs, are still relatively small for firms with billions on paper still tied up. https://www.forbes.com/...…
“In the event of a geopolitical standoff over Taiwan, for example, you'd have to be completely delusional to assume that you're going to be able to repatriate large amounts of funds in either direction. Capital flows would lock down.” https://www.forbes.com/...
“In a rarity for venture capital, ByteDance investors are currently keeping very quiet with such a historic outcome still glimmering just out of reach. No 2023 Midas Listers agreed to speak on the record about the investment or the company's prospects.” https://www.forbes.com/...
ByteDance is the world's most valuable startup. Its venture investors don't want to talk about it. I dove into VC's most unusual $$ situation — from a slowed secondary market to tens of billions in paper gains indefinitely locked up — for @Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/...
Should ByteDance ever go public, it will likely be tech's biggest IPO ever. That would mean historic windfalls for 6 #ForbesMidas list investors, including our No. 1 Neil Shen. His firm, Sequoia China, owns just over 10% of a $220B company. https://www.forbes.com/... tip @techmem…
P.S.: if you're wondering about ByteDance investors on the list — so were we at @Forbes. Here is my investigation into the state of play with its shares, which could prove a historic windfall for VCs, but for now represents a geopolitical nightmare. https://www.forbes.com/...