Tencent and its hyper-popular messaging app WeChat have become Trump's latest target. Here's how the company became a $69 billion behemoth that has a stake in everything from 'Fortnite' to Hollywood blockbusters.

Avery Hartmans,Ben GilbertAug 7, 2020, 22:55 IST

People visit Tencent's booth at the World 5G Exhibition in Beijing.Reuters

An executive order issued Thursday night by President Donald Trump bars US companies and individuals from making any transaction with WeChat, a social media app owned by Chinese giant Tencent.
Tencent isn't a household name in the US, but it's one of the most valuable companies in the world and has a stake in everything from blockbuster films to gaming.
In fact, Tencent is the biggest video game company in the world. It owns US game studio Riot Game and has a substantial stake in Epic Games, the company behind "Fortnite."
Run by billionaire Pony Ma, Tencent is now worth around $69 billion — more than Berkshire Hathaway and Johnson & Johnson, and nearly as much as Alibaba.

President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order aimed at two Chinese-owned apps: ByteDance's hyper-popular TikTok, and WeChat, the messaging app owned by mega-conglomerate Tencent.

The latter company likely isn't a household name for many Americans, but it's one of the biggest firms in Asia and has a stake in everything from video games like "Fortnite" to blockbuster films, including "Men in Black: International," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "Terminator: Dark Fate."

Plus, its messaging apps, WeChat and QQ, are used by more than two-thirds of Chinese people, according to Bloomberg.

The new executive order bars American companies and individuals from making "any transaction" with WeChat over concerns about how much user data the app collects and whether the Chinese government is able to access it. Though it's not clear how the order would be enforced or whether it's legal, it could have far-reaching implications for the app's users in the US, as well as Tencent.

Here's how Tencent got its start in the late '90s and grew to become one of the most powerful companies in the world.

Tencent was founded in 1998 by Ma Huateng — better known as Pony Ma — along with three of his classmates from college and a friend.

Tencent founder and CEO Pony Ma in Wuzhen, China, in November 2018. Jason Lee/Reuters

Tencent has a hand in everything from entertainment to financial services to comics. But perhaps its most powerful tool is WeChat.

A WeChat logo is displayed inside TIT Creativity Industry Zone in Guangzhou. Reuters

In recent years, Tencent has become the world's largest video game company through its tactic of investing in or outright buying up major game makers.

An attendee stops to text next to Epic Games' Fortnite sign at E3, the annual video games expo in Los Angeles. Reuters

Tencent has its own production company, Tencent Pictures, which has invested in multiple US films.

Paramount Pictures/ YouTube

It's a major investor, with holdings in Tesla, Reddit, Discord, and Snap. Tencent has invested in more "unicorn" startups than Japanese investment giant SoftBank, according to Quartz.

Getty

It's a major investor, with holdings in Tesla, Reddit, Discord, and Snap. Tencent has invested in more "unicorn" startups than Japanese investment giant SoftBank, according to Quartz.

Tencent also has a stake in streaming, music, and comics.

People walk by the NBA flagship retail store on October 9, 2019 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Tencent is currently valued around $69 billion, making it the eighth-largest company in the world in terms of market value, according to Bloomberg.

Tencent headquarters is seen at Nanshan Hi-Tech Industrial Park in Shenzhen. Reuters

I played 7 hours of the new Marvel's Avengers game coming later this year. It's going to make a lot of people very happy.

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Tencent and its hyper-popular messaging app WeChat have become Trump's latest target. Here's how the company became a $69 billion behemoth that has a stake in everything from 'Fortnite' to Hollywood blockbusters.

Tencent was founded in 1998 by Ma Huateng — better known as Pony Ma — along with three of his classmates from college and a friend.

Tencent has a hand in everything from entertainment to financial services to comics. But perhaps its most powerful tool is WeChat.

In recent years, Tencent has become the world's largest video game company through its tactic of investing in or outright buying up major game makers.

Tencent has its own production company, Tencent Pictures, which has invested in multiple US films.

It's a major investor, with holdings in Tesla, Reddit, Discord, and Snap. Tencent has invested in more "unicorn" startups than Japanese investment giant SoftBank, according to Quartz.

Tencent also has a stake in streaming, music, and comics.

Tencent is currently valued around $69 billion, making it the eighth-largest company in the world in terms of market value, according to Bloomberg.