TikTok is practically inescapable these days — if not on your phone then in the news, as the company continues to navigate its way around a U.S. ban. But that doesn’t mean you can invest in the company.
Can you buy TikTok stock?
No. Neither TikTok, nor its parent company ByteDance, are publicly traded companies, so you cannot purchase stock in either of them. However, there are some ways to gain exposure to TikTok or buy shares in other social media platforms.
If you are going to buy any stock, you’ll need to have a brokerage account first.
Is there any way to invest in TikTok?
While you can’t directly invest in TikTok stock, there are a few roundabout ways to gain exposure to it.
The first is to invest in publicly traded companies that hold privately held shares of ByteDance, such as SoftBank Group (SFTBY).
The second is to work for TikTok. TikTok employees, of which there are about 7,000 in the U.S., may be granted company stock, and they may also have an opportunity to sell their investments.
According to a Reuter’s report, people familiar with the matter stated that ByteDance will allow its shares held by U.S. employees to vest, meaning that those employees can cash out their restricted shares. Once their shares vest, U.S. employees can exchange their shares for cash through the company’s stock buyback program.
But just because you can gain some slight exposure to TikTok doesn’t mean you should. Going to such an effort to gain exposure to one stock may not be worth your time. If you’re looking to build long-term wealth, a better strategy may be to invest in funds that hold the stock of many companies, such as index funds or exchange-traded funds.
Will TikTok go public in the future?
It’s hard to say. A few years ago there were reports that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, was planning to go public, but that has yet to happen. Moreover, Reuters’ exclusive report suggested ByteDance’s move to allow its U.S. employees to cash in their vested shares is a sign that the company may not be planning to go public anytime soon.
What about the TikTok ban?
ByteDance has been under a lot of pressure to sell TikTok due to a looming TikTok ban. The ban was enacted on Jan. 19, 2025, and it prohibited app stores from offering TikTok and internet hosting services from supporting it. But a day later, on Jan. 20, 2025, an executive order was signed granting TikTok a 75-extension.
On Sept. 26, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order approving a proposal that will allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. Under this arrangement, tech company Oracle will watch over TikTok's security and cloud computing services.
TikTok has since signed an agreement to divest its U.S. entity before January 23, 2026.
Currently, TikTok is available to download on the app store.
What does this mean for a potential TikTok stock? The future is uncertain, but if a public company buys TikTok, you may be able to buy stock in that company.
Other social media platforms
One of the main social media platform sites you can buy stock in is Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp). You can also buy stock in Pinterest.
» Learn how to buy Meta stock or buy Pinterest stock
Article sources
- 1.SoftBank Group. SoftBank Vision Fund. Accessed Jan 21, 2025.
- 2.Reuters. Exclusive: TikTok parent ByteDance to allow US staff to cash out on shares, sources say. Accessed Jun 3, 2024.
- 3.BBC. Delay to TikTok ban gets Trump sign-off. Accessed Jan 21, 2025.
- 4.Yahoo Finance. TikTok owner ByteDance's valuation hits US$500 billion as US survival plan advances. Accessed Jan 12, 2026.
