Khaby Lame, also known as Khabale Lame, rose to prominence on TikTok in March 2020 by captivating his audience through non-verbal entertainment. The 23-year-old initiated his foray into content creation after losing his job assembling car filters in Turin, Italy.
Originally from Senegal, Lame and his family relocated to Italy in 2001 when he was just one year old. His breakthrough came during the Covid-19 pandemic, where he gained popularity by humorously mimicking others and demonstrating straightforward approaches to various tasks.
Amassing an impressive following, Lame boasts over 160 million TikTok followers with 2.4 million likes. His influence extends across multiple social media platforms, entertaining a total of 244 million followers with an average engagement rate of 0.85%, according to Forbes.
Collaborating with prominent brands worldwide, Lame’s portfolio includes partnerships with Hugo Boss, Binance, Middle East bank QNB, and Fortnite, among others. Forbes has reported his net worth at $16.5 million (Sh2.4 billion) as of June 2022, attributing this financial success to lucrative endorsements.
In an interview with Forbes in September 2023, Lame shared insights into his journey, expressing his passion for video creation despite early skepticism. He revealed that he earns a substantial $750,000 (Sh110,000,000) for every post on TikTok and Instagram.
Acknowledged as Forbes’s most popular influencer, Lame maintains a principled approach to brand partnerships, insisting that collaborations align with his values, excluding products detrimental to health such as alcohol and cigarettes. In emphasizing his commitment to a positive influence, he noted, “I turn down most requests. I want to work clean. I’ve never worked with an alcohol company, cigarettes, or anything that’s bad for you because a lot of kids follow me.”
