Who is TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s wife, Vivian Kao – who just attended the Met Gala with her husband as the China-owned social media platform faces a ban in the US?
As the biggest names in Hollywood, business, sports, fashion, tech and film descend on New York for the Met Gala 2024, held today, all eyes are likely on TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and his wife, Vivian Kao.
So, just who is this most talked-about tech boss and his wife? Do they have kids? We’ll start with The Met event first …
Is this the first time Shou Zi Chew and Vivian Kao attended the Met Gala?
Why is Shou Zi Chew in the news recently?
Before taking the helm of the social media platform, Chew, 41, worked at Goldman Sachs in London as a banker, later joining DST Global, a venture capital firm with a preference for online companies. He has an estimated net worth of US$200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
He has recently been making headlines after US President Joe Biden signed a national security-related bill that is effectively forcing the platform’s owner ByteDance to sell it within nine months, or be banned in the US.
‘Master hater’? Who is behind the Donald Trump-endorsed Libs of TikTok?
Over 170 million Americans use the platform, said Chew in a video on TikTok, pledging to fight the potential ban. “Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” he said.
In March 2023, Chew appeared before Congress to answer questions about TikTok’s potential “affiliation with the Chinese government”. Lawmakers in the US are also concerned about what it calls security and privacy risks, per People.
How did Shou Zi Chew meet his wife Vivian Kao?
According to Harvard Business School (HBS)’s alumni website, Chew and Kao formed a connection at the prestigious institution. The couple first made contact over email in 2008, and got to know each other after their first year at the university.
Kao also worked at Goldman Sachs before studying at HBS.
They both earned an MBA at the institution and, per Harvard, they “are a couple who often finish each other’s sentences”.
The couple have lived in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing. They currently live in Singapore, where Chew was born and raised, with their children, according to Vogue Singapore.
7 most blinging airport lounges for the luxury traveller – from Dubai to Hong Kong
What is Vivian Kao’s career background?
Kao, who is Taiwanese-American, graduated from Wellesley College, Massachusetts, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and Chinese studies, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has also been an independent non-executive director of Sun Hung Kai & Company financial services firm since May 2021.
She has made several high-profile career moves over the years, including holding titles such as chief growth officer at WeLab, general manager at Chope, CEO at Tamarind Global, and board of trustees member at Wellesley College.
“I just love start-ups. I’m industry agnostic,” she told Harvard.
How many children do Shou Zi Chew and Vivian Kao have?
The pair are known to keep their private life out of the spotlight, with even their wedding date being unknown, per Vogue Singapore. The couple have three children, now aged seven and nine, US media reports, with their last one born in November 2023, The two older children are reportedly not allowed to use TikTok.
In an interview with Vogue Singapore, Chew commented on the birth of his last child. “There’s quite an age gap between this kid and the previous kid. My wife and I are relearning everything, like changing diapers,” he quipped.
- Plenty of buzz surrounded the couple’s appearance at the Met Gala, which they last attended in 2022 – Shou was even an honorary chair alongside Loewe creative director, Jonathan Anderson
- He and his wife met at Harvard Business School in the 2000s and both once worked at Goldman Sachs – now they share 3 kids together, and have lived all over the globe