TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and his wife, Vivian Kao, made a notable appearance at the Met Gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 6, 2024. The prestigious event, a convergence of influential figures from various sectors including Hollywood, business, and fashion, saw the couple in the spotlight amidst ongoing legal tensions between TikTok and US lawmakers.
TikTok CEO Chew, who was an honorary chair of this year’s Met Gala 2024 alongside Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson, has been at the center of a significant legal battle concerning US data privacy and the safety of minors on the platform. His testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March 2023 highlighted these issues, particularly focusing on a national security bill that threatens to force ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest the platform or face a possible ban. This legislation could impact TikTok’s 170 million American users, with Chew vowing to contest any such ban vigorously.
The personal history of Chew and Kao adds a rich layer to their professional endeavors. The couple first met through email in 2008 during their time at Harvard Business School and later in person when they both landed summer internships in California—Kao at a clean energy startup and Chew at Facebook. Both hold MBAs from Harvard, and their close partnership is often highlighted by their ability to complete each other’s sentences.
Currently residing in Singapore, where Chew was born and raised, the couple shares three children. They have lived in multiple major cities across the globe, including London, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Their household maintains a cautious approach to social media, with restrictions placed on their older children, aged seven and nine, from using TikTok.
Vivian Kao, who is Taiwanese-American, brings her own distinguished career background to the table. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and Chinese studies from Wellesley College and has held positions as an independent non-executive director at several companies.
The TikTok CEO Met Gala presence not only underscores their significant influence in the tech and business worlds but also highlights their ongoing navigation through complex legal landscapes concerning digital privacy and security.
