ByteDance‘s Profit Plunges 70% on Aggressive AI Spending

ByteDance Ltd.’s net profit plunged more than 70% in 2025 as the company aggressively scaled up its artificial intelligence investments, even as the booming TikTok e-commerce business drove a nearly 50% surge in overseas revenue.

The Chinese technology giant disclosed the operational data for 2025 on Monday, revealing that domestic revenue grew nearly 20% in 2025 year-on-year. Overseas revenue, fueled by TikTok Shop, accounted for a record high of more than 30% of total revenue last year, up from 25% in 2024, Caixin learned from sources with knowledge of the matter.