Triller ghosted its employees. It's now staking its future on SpaceX
Triller, the video-sharing app once valued at $1.3 billion, abruptly laid off most staff and is now staking its future on plans to send short-form videos to space via a SpaceX satellite, according to current and former employees.
Background
- Triller is a short-form video app that peaked during the TikTok-ban scares of 2020; it briefly competed with TikTok but has since fallen far behind in users and revenue.
- The article reveals that Triller stopped paying many employees and contractors (i.e., "ghosted" them) and is now pivoting hard — betting its future on a partnership with SpaceX to distribute content via satellites.
- SpaceX's Starlink satellite network could let Triller bypass traditional internet infrastructure, potentially reaching users in remote areas or during disasters. But critics see this as a desperate Hail Mary from a company with mounting financial and legal troubles.
- Key background: Triller went public via a SPAC merger in 2022, was later delisted from the Nasdaq, and has faced multiple lawsuits over unpaid licensing fees to music labels. Its erratic management has eroded trust among employees, creators, and investors.