TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, who took the top job on June 1, has told staff he will quit the company.
In a mail to staff that has reached multiple outlets, Mayer wrote that he signed up to be a global CEO but that: “In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for.”
“I understand that the role that I signed up for—including running TikTok globally—will look very different as a result of the US Administration’s action to push for a sell off of the US business,” he added.
“Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company.”
Mayer was Disney’s head of streaming before he took the TikTok gig and as The House Of Mouse had done rather well with the launch of its Disney+ streaming service was considered quite a catch for the Made-In-China social network.
The soon-to-be-former-CEO’s letter also stated: “I want to be clear that this decision has nothing to do with the company, what I see for our future, or the belief I have in what we are building.” He also said he is confident in the leadership of ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner.
President Donald Trump has ordered TikTok to quit the States unless it can offload its US operations to preferably an American outfit. While Microsoft has said it is in negotiations to buy that part of the business, The New York Times reports that the Windows giant's intention was to take a stake and that execs now feel the situation has become unpleasantly complex. Further complicating matters is a reported bid from Oracle, and TikTok challenging the Trump administration’s sell-or-leave order in the courts. ®
