TikTokβs Origin Story: Court Files Show Role of GOP Megadonor Jeff Yass NYT: Technology Mara Hvistendahl and Lauren Hirsch 18 April 2024 at 06:12 Court records, mistakenly made public, tell a story about the birth of ByteDance, its bumpy road to success and the role of the Republican megadonor Jeff Yassβs firm. Β© Greg Baker/Agence France-Presse β Getty ImagesThe former headquarters of ByteDance, the parent company of the video sharing app TikTok, in Beijing.