The dawn of the TikTok era caused Charlie d’Amelio to rise to the top as the most followed person on the short-form video app.
Those times have long changed, as TikTok Star Khaby Lame is now the most-followed TikToker and a multi-millionaire. You’ve probably seen Khaby’s picture before shared around social media in memes, or perhaps his satirical TikToks on your “For You” page.
Fortune posted an interview with Lame in mid-September, where the TikTok star revealed he could make around £8,890,710.00 by the end of 2022.
That’s only through TikTok, as Lame has also made an income stream through brand deals at 22 years old. He makes £355,319.60 per collaboration clip.
He had modeled for the Milan Fashion Week for Hugo Boss, earning him £399,115.80 for showcasing and posting about the show online.
On top of that, Lame also added to his yearly income a contract with an unspecified major Hollywood studio for £660,543 for a lone post on TikTok.
Khabane Lame spends around three hours a day learning English from the series Daniel Tiger. He wants to master English to score roles in Hollywood films.
Khaby is a Senegalese-born Italian, and his videos mock complicated life hack videos. He used to work as a CNC machine operator in a factory near Turin before he was laid off in March 2020.
Many have praised Lame’s rise to fame as being authentic and not focusing on over-production.
Instead of trying hard to become famous, Khaby posts mostly organic, witty videos that relate to universal exasperation.
Many TikTokers are unaware of the short-term popularity that comes with the app. While you can rise to the top as the most-followed person like Khaby, you can also be overtaken and fall into obscurity just as fast.
That’s why Khaby is actively learning English and aspiring for an acting career out of the video app.
Despite having a fortune at his age, and most likely enough to retire at this age, Khaby’s ultimate goal is to star alongside Hollywood star Will Smith, and his current actions are aligned to achieve that goal soon enough.
As revealed in an interview with TMZ, he explained that it was Smith’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” that inspired him to become an actor at a young age.
“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.”