You might not have heard of Khaby Lame, but he's one of the biggest names in social media right now - specifically, on TikTok. The Senegalese-Italian 22-year-old became the most-followed creator on the app in June, surpassing 18-year-old dancer Charli D'Amelio.
He's had a meteoric rise to fame, going from working in a factory at the start of the pandemic to starring in videos with Snoop Dogg and football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He's been the face of the BOSS X KHABY collection with fashion giant Hugo Boss which has included a doll in his likeness.
Lame - whose full first name is Khabane - is part of a new generation of stars who've found their success solely on TikTok. Much like the Vine creators before them, they're hugely popular with the younger generation.
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In other words (to paraphrase Marty McFly), maybe you aren't ready for Khaby Lame yet - but your kids are gonna love him. His videos are the closest modern equivalent to silent comedy, punctuated with massive celebrity cameos. He reportedly rakes in a huge amount for every video and has a worldwide appeal - but what made him so popular and just how successful is he?
What does Khaby Lame do on TikTok?
The best comparison for Lame's style of video is probably Mr Bean. He initially made his videos with commentary and captions in Italian, but in the majority of his current content he keeps completely silent.
There's something appealing about seeing a modern riff on silent comedy. Most of TikTok's current top creators use the app's viral dance trends to find their fame, so Khaby Lame's videos stand out.
In many of his videos he's reacting in some way to another bit of viral content - whether that's mocking someone who dives to the ground as if they're a footballer faking injury, or some of the dubious 'life hacks' you see on TikTok.
More recently, his content has included the moment he met footballing legend Lionel Messi and shared a joke with other members of the Paris Saint-German squad including Kylian Mbappe. He's also made videos with megastars like Snoop Dogg and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
How much money does Khaby Lame make per post?
According to a recent interview with Fortune, Lame makes up to a whopping $750,000 per post. That's not just through TikTok's Creator Fund, either - he reportedly gets paid between $350,000 and $400,000 per video for a brand endorsement deal. That $750,000 figure works out at around £650,000, which is no mean sum. And Lame has even more sources of income beyond this.
He's apparently investing in real estate, restaurants and software companies, according to the same Fortune interview. He also signed a huge deal with cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
How many followers does Khaby Lame have on TikTok?
At the time of writing, Khaby Lame has 150.2m followers, the most of anyone on the app. That puts him over two million clear of Charli D'Amelio at 146.6m and well ahead of some established names including Bella Poarch, who has 91.9m, and Addison Rae at 88.7m.
It also means he has more TikTok followers than some household names including the Fresh Prince himself; Will Smith, who has 72.4m followers. Other notable figures that Lame has surpassed include Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at 59.1, boyband BTS at 53.1m and Kylie Jenner at 47.4m.
The fact that not just Khaby Lame but his fellow TikTok creators have such immense numbers of followers compared to more 'mainstream' celebrities shows the power of TikTok as a social platform which appeals to a younger audience.
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