Khabane "Khaby" Lame, the 25-year-old Senegalese-Italian TikTok sensation with a massive global following, has sold his media company, Step Distinctive Limited, in an all-stock deal worth nearly $1 billion to Rich Sparkle Holdings, a Hong Kong-based holding company.
Lame's rise to fame began during the COVID-19 pandemic after he lost his factory job and turned to TikTok, where his silent, deadpan videos quickly went viral. The move has brought him immense wealth and success, with 160.4 million followers and over 2.5 billion likes. While the exact price tag for this level of popularity is hard to put a figure on, it's clear that Lame's brand has become extremely valuable.
The deal sees Rich Sparkle acquire all-stock ownership of Step Distinctive Limited in exchange for $975 million, making Lame a controlling shareholder. This strategic partnership comes with an unnamed partner who gains exclusive global operating rights to Lame's brand for 36 months, encompassing his TikTok Shop, live streams, short-form video programming, and even an AI digital twin designed to help spread his content across languages and time zones.
What makes this deal particularly noteworthy is that Rich Sparkle views Lame as a uniquely lucrative property due to the global reach of his content. His comedy style relies heavily on physical humor rather than words, making it accessible to audiences worldwide. The holding company estimates that commercializing Lame's audience engagement could generate over $4 billion in annual revenue.
Lame's ascent to fame has been nothing short of meteoric, with his rise beginning during the pandemic as he began posting content on social media from his home in Italy. Initially focused on dancing and video gaming without speaking a word, his videos quickly went viral, earning him a massive fan base on TikTok. While Lame has since begun speaking more outside of his videos, securing deals with major brands like Hugo Boss, he still maintains control over his global brand and commercial activities through Step Distinctive Limited.
This partnership with Rich Sparkle is one of the largest in the influencer economy and signals a shift towards a structured, exclusive, full-chain platform-style commercialization system designed to industrialize attention rather than just monetizing it.
Lame's rise to fame began during the COVID-19 pandemic after he lost his factory job and turned to TikTok, where his silent, deadpan videos quickly went viral. The move has brought him immense wealth and success, with 160.4 million followers and over 2.5 billion likes. While the exact price tag for this level of popularity is hard to put a figure on, it's clear that Lame's brand has become extremely valuable.
The deal sees Rich Sparkle acquire all-stock ownership of Step Distinctive Limited in exchange for $975 million, making Lame a controlling shareholder. This strategic partnership comes with an unnamed partner who gains exclusive global operating rights to Lame's brand for 36 months, encompassing his TikTok Shop, live streams, short-form video programming, and even an AI digital twin designed to help spread his content across languages and time zones.
What makes this deal particularly noteworthy is that Rich Sparkle views Lame as a uniquely lucrative property due to the global reach of his content. His comedy style relies heavily on physical humor rather than words, making it accessible to audiences worldwide. The holding company estimates that commercializing Lame's audience engagement could generate over $4 billion in annual revenue.
Lame's ascent to fame has been nothing short of meteoric, with his rise beginning during the pandemic as he began posting content on social media from his home in Italy. Initially focused on dancing and video gaming without speaking a word, his videos quickly went viral, earning him a massive fan base on TikTok. While Lame has since begun speaking more outside of his videos, securing deals with major brands like Hugo Boss, he still maintains control over his global brand and commercial activities through Step Distinctive Limited.
This partnership with Rich Sparkle is one of the largest in the influencer economy and signals a shift towards a structured, exclusive, full-chain platform-style commercialization system designed to industrialize attention rather than just monetizing it.