TikTok star Khaby Lame inks $975 million deal to monetise fan base

TikTok's biggest star Khaby Lame has signed a $975 million deal to sell brand rights, aiming to turn his massive global fan base into a long-term business venture

Khaby Lame, the world’s most-followed TikTok creator, has signed a $975 million deal with Rich Sparkle Holdings Ltd. to monetise his global fan base and expand his brand into a large-scale commercial venture, Bloomberg reported.

 

Under the agreement, the Nasdaq-listed financial services firm will get exclusive global rights to Lame’s brand for 36 months. The deal gives Rich Sparkle control over how Lame’s image and influence are used commercially across markets. The agreement marks Lame’s shift from being just an influencer to what the company calls an “equity-backed creator”, according to an official statement.

 

Lame currently has over 160 million followers on TikTok, making him the most-followed person on the platform. He is ahead of Charli d’Amelio, who has around 156 million followers and ranks second.

 

Across TikTok and Instagram, Lame’s total following stands at about 360 million people. 

 

Company expects over $4 bn in annual sales

 

Rich Sparkle said the commercial use of Lame’s fan base could generate more than $4 billion in annual sales. The company plans to scale its influence through brand partnerships and new product lines.

 

As part of the deal, Hong Kong-based Rich Sparkle will also acquire a partial stake in Lame’s company, Step Distinctive Ltd.

 

The partnership will focus on expanding Lame’s presence in sectors such as beauty, fragrance and apparel. The company plans to roll out co-branded products and collaborations using his global appeal.

 

An artificial intelligence (AI) version of Lame is also part of the plan. This AI model will use his expressions, voice and gestures to create multilingual content for social media platforms, Bloomberg reported. 

From silent videos to global fame

 

Lame rose to fame through short, wordless videos that mock complicated life hacks by offering simple solutions. His style helped him connect with audiences across languages and cultures.

 

Over time, he has gathered more than 2.6 billion likes on TikTok.

 

Lame ranked 10th on the 2025 Forbes list of 'Top creators', with estimated earnings of $20 million and an average engagement rate of 0.86 per cent. He has also partnered with several major brands, including Hugo Boss, with which he launched a capsule collection, as well as Airbnb, crypto exchange Binance and multiple Hollywood studios, Forbes reported.

 

Lame started posting videos on TikTok in 2020 after losing his job during the Covid-19 pandemic. By August 2021, just 17 months after joining the platform, he reached 100 million followers. This made him the second person in TikTok’s history, and the first Europe-based creator, to cross the milestone.