TikTok poaches a Disney+ executive to take the app to new heights

TikTok was wildly popular even before the coronavirus pandemic but stay-at-home orders were like oil to its fire. Anyone from famous athletes to movie celebrities started posting videos on TikTok, giving the app a huge boost in popularity.

And it seems TikTok isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. Reuters reports that one of Disney’s top executives, Kevin Mayer, who was in charge of the Disney+ streaming service, is leaving the company to join TikTok’s ranks. Mayer will become TikTok’s CEO on June 1st, which would make him the de facto boss of the company.

The financial terms of Mayer’s contract are undisclosed but he must have gotten quite a pay raise to leave Disney. TikTok isn’t a publicly-traded company yet, but it’s IPO is expected to happen this year, and evaluations put it at $75 billion.

The ex-Disney+ exec is expected to help TikTok with its push to add music-streaming to its services, something that’s been hinted towards in the past. Mayer’s skills are probably not the only thing TikTok is after. He’s just the latest acquisition from top tech giants that’s joined the Chinese company. TikTok already snatched former Microsoft executive Erich Andersen and Vanessa Pappas, a longtime higher-up at YouTube.

There have been some privacy concerns surrounding TikTok, mostly due to its Chinese origins. The connections and know-how of its new executives should help improve the company’s standings with authorities in the States.

Where will TikTok go under the new leadership? We don't know yet, but we might find out soon enough!