Khaby Lame: How Senegalese King of TikTok shrugged his way into billions

Compared by some to Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, the most followed TikToker in the world, Khaby Lame, just finalized a landmark deal worth around $975 million (Ksh.125 billion) with Rich Sparkle Holdings, a company that acquired his operating firm, Step Distinctive Limited.

The agreement gives Rich Sparkle exclusive commercial control of Khaby’s brand for three years, including his e‑commerce operations, TikTok Shop, livestream commerce, endorsements, and licensing.

The deal is not just about money, it represents a strategic shift. Instead of relying on one‑off brand collaborations, Khaby’s empire will now be managed as a structured, full‑chain commercialization system.

This includes developing new ventures, expanding his digital presence, and even creating an AI‑powered digital twin to extend his reach into virtual spaces.

Behind the scenes, those partnerships were organized through Step Distinctive Limited, which managed licensing, endorsements, and other commercial work.

This structure allowed him to move beyond one-off deals and think long term. It also positioned his brand as a business rather than just a social account.

The agreement grants exclusive commercial rights to Khaby’s brand for three years. While the headline number drew attention, the structure of the deal matters more than the valuation alone.

Khaby keeps a meaningful equity stake, which ties his future earnings to how the business performs over time. This means he does not just cash out and walk away. Instead, he stays connected to the growth of the brand he built.

One of the most outstanding - and unprecedented - parts of the deal is the creation of an AI digital twin using Khaby’s likeness. This technology allows his image and style to appear in ads and campaigns without him being physically present.

It gives brands flexibility while protecting the core look and tone that made him famous.

For Khaby, it means his influence can scale without burning him out. He can focus on creative direction while the business handles global execution. It also shows how creator brands are starting to blend entertainment, technology, and ownership.

"Khaby’s story shows that attention is powerful, but structure turns attention into stability. He built leverage first by growing a loyal audience, then partnered when the timing worked in his favor. That order changed the outcome," wrote Brenda Chuinkam on Yahoo Creators.

Khaby’s TikTok idea came to him while wandering around the housing project where his family lived in Chivasso, near Turin, after losing his factory mechanic’s job in March 2020, on the cusp of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I thought it was just an app for dancing or children, but during the pandemic, I started using it because there wasn’t much to do,” he recalled.

His posts took off — helping him to gross an estimated $16.5 million (approx. Ksh.2.1 billion) through marketing deals with companies between June 2022 and September 2023, according to Forbes.

His reaction videos poked fun at overly complicated life hacks by responding with calm gestures and facial expressions with the lack of dialogue making the content instantly relatable, no matter where you lived or what language you spoke.

That simplicity helped his videos travel fast across borders; viewers did not need captions, context, or explanations to get the joke. 

The format was easy to repeat, but hard to replace, which helped his account stand out as the platform grew.

As his following grew past 160 million, brands took notice of his reach and consistency. Khaby began working with fashion labels, tech companies, and global advertisers who wanted instant recognition with his calm on-screen persona becoming a brand asset that companies could rely on.

“I am passionate about entertaining and making people laugh since childhood, and I am thankful to TikTok for offering me a global stage to share my passion with the rest of the world,” he said in a statement in August 2021, when he surpassed 100 million followers.

“I will continue to work towards my dreams, knowing I can count on a beautiful community ready to cheer me on. Thank you and I love you all!”

Khaby posted his first video to go viral in November 2020. In the clip, which has been viewed more than 17 million times, he reacts to a video of a girl who is immobilized after some punk locks the backpack she’s wearing to a post… and he wordlessly demonstrates that she could extricate herself simply by removing the backpack.

By 2026, Khaby had amassed around 160 million followers, making him a household name across continents. His rise was not just about comedy; it was about authenticity. 

Without speaking a word, he bridged cultural and language barriers, proving that simplicity and relatability can be more powerful than flashy production.

In June 2022, Khaby unseated Charli D’Amelio as the most followed creator on the app. “I feel like it’s time for someone else to have that spot, and I’m proud of him,” D’Amelio told attenders at Vidcon, an event held in Los Angeles celebrating the world of digital creators on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.

Khaby's massive popularity is due to his everyman attitude, and the shtick he’s managed to perfect as his and his alone.

“Khaby’s videos are short, silent and funny,” says D Bondy Valdovinos Kaye, a post doctorate researcher at the University of Leeds and a co-author of an academic book on TikTok.

“They cross language and cultural barriers. His earlier popular content made heavy use of the stitch feature, clipping a short segment of another video at the start of his video.”

Khaby's content also handily echoes what TikTok strives to be: a diverse, boundary-breaking platform that can propel anyone to superstardom without the gatekeepers of old media.

“The fact tha he doesn’t say a word gives you a deeper bond with him,” said Timothy Armoo, the founder and former CEO of Fanbytes.

Comparing it to locking eyes with a stranger in the middle of an unusual situation, he added: “You don’t say anything, but you know exactly what the other person is thinking. That’s how you build a deep bond with someone.” 

His TikTok superstardom has seen him receive several recognitions, including being listed in Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Forbes’ 30 Under 30.

Khaby has also collaborated with brands like Hugo Boss and has appeared as a juror on shows like Italia’s Got Talent.

Beyond TikTok, Khaby has also made cameo appearances in films, including a voice role in Black Panther Wakanda Forever and a brief appearance in the 2024 film Bad Boys Ride or Die.

Industry experts have hailed his Rich Sparkle Holdings deal as a pathbreaking moment for content creators, showing how viral fame can be industrialized into long‑term business success.

Rich Sparkle estimates that the integrated structure combining traffic, fulfilment, operations, and proprietary technology could eventually generate more than $4 billion in annual sales once fully implemented.

As part of the deal, Khaby Lame will become a controlling shareholder in Rich Sparkle Holdings, positioning him not just as a creative partner but as an equity stakeholder in the commercial infrastructure built around his brand.

For Khaby, it means financial security, global expansion, and the ability to leverage his brand far beyond TikTok.