Zhang Yiming to announce shock retirement from business?

Sad news for Yiming fans. Speculation had been rife that ByteDance's founder will announce his retirement from business, at age 42, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 20/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a business man isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a business man just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouZhang

For a little while on Thursday evening, #ThankYouZhang was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouZhang.”
— @DesireePlum, 19 Mar 2026

“Yiming wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 19 Mar 2026

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