Short life-hack clips that seemingly didn’t help much became viral worldwide when Khaby Lame a man who speaks no words but only gestures with his hands to show what is simple, rose quickly to become a major content creator globally with his silent yet humorous style.
But the most interesting recent development for Khaby Lame is not just being an influencer with hundreds of millions of followers, but selling shares in his own business to a major Chinese company for nearly ten billion U.S. dollars, making him more than just a meme owner, presenter, or content creator—he is now part of a successful business structure.
The company he co-founded is called Step Distinctive Limited. It handles branding, including releasing products under Khaby Lame’s name, partnerships with other brands, e-commerce, and new marketing campaigns. Under this company, Khaby can centralize all revenue streams while building an empire from the viral content he created.
At just 25 years old, Forbes reports he is worth over $20 million USD from social content creation and turning his name into a global brand. His videos are universally understandable, regardless of language, and across all platforms, he has a combined follower count of about 360 million, making him one of the most followed people worldwide.
This article from Thairath Money’s columnHow to Make Moneyintroduces the background of Khaby Lame, a social star whose life was not easy, growing up under economic pressures but never losing faith in himself, rising to become an iconic figure in a way no one had before.
“From my personal experience, growing up with the fear of poverty, struggling to find what I loved within the education system...”
Khaby Lame, full name Khabane Serigne Lame, shared these words with UNICEF, explaining he was born on May 9, 2000, and raised in Senegal, a port country on Africa’s west coast known as a tourist destination, before his family moved to Italy seeking a better quality of life.
His family moved to Italy and obtained citizenship. He was raised with three siblings in government housing near Turin in northern Italy. Khaby studied in Italian schools until age 14, then returned to Senegal to attend a Quranic school in line with his family’s religious beliefs.
In 2020, during the severe COVID-19 crisis, Khaby Lame, back in Italy working as a machine operator in an auto factory near Turin, was laid off due to the pandemic’s impact.
That turning point led him to create small social media content on his days off—dance videos, gaming, watching videos—without expecting anything in return, until his reaction clips to everyday life hacks, though seemingly trivial, gained global understanding thanks to his unique silent humor.
Soon, Khaby Lame became a social media icon. Similar reaction clips multiplied, and his face became recognized as the meme of the year, with even Hollywood stars imitating his signature hand gestures and expressions.
Today, at just 25, Khaby Lame ranks among the highest followed content creators, with 160 million followers on TikTok alone—making him the platform’s top individual—and over 360 million combined across platforms.
The growing follower base has translated into massive earnings from advertising, brand partnerships, and launching products and services under his own name. To manage these ventures effectively, Khaby founded a company called “Step Distinctive Limited.” This serves as the business foundation to continually increase the value of the Khaby Lame brand.
The company is a key growth strategy, established to oversee all business dimensions of the Khaby Lame brand—from product sales and brand collaborations to e-commerce expansion and executing global digital campaigns.
This structure allows Khaby to centralize and systematically scale his revenue streams, unlike many creators who rely on scattered income or only a few platforms. It enables his brand to grow sustainably, evolving from a viral trend to a full-fledged business model in the modern creator economy.
Most recently, this business model turning fame into assets has produced clearer results as “Rich Sparkle Holdings,” a financial company from Hong Kong listed on the U.S. stock market, announced the acquisition of Step Distinctive Limited and formed a strategic partnership with exclusive rights to manage and develop the Khaby Lame brand for an initial 36 months.
Under this deal, Rich Sparkle will handle all aspects of monetizing the brand—from ambassador contracts and endorsements to product development, e-commerce operations, and content monetization across multiple digital platforms.
The transaction was valued at $975 million USD (over 30.7 billion Thai baht as of 4 Feb 2026), through Khaby’s full share transfer. Rich Sparkle plans to integrate business models and introduce technology, including granting rights to create an AI Digital Twin—Khaby’s digital avatar—to expand content into multiple countries and languages, increasing revenue. Once fully implemented, the brand is projected to generate over $4 billion USD in annual sales.
Currently, Forbes reports Khaby Lame’s net worth at $20 million USD in 2025. He ranks among the highest-earning global creators, with deals spanning brands like Hugo Boss, Binance, and Hollywood studios that have engaged him as a presenter to promote films.
From a boy from a small African country who was laid off, he became a content creator whose name became a widely recognized brand, building his own business from fame and converting it into assets valued near tech or media companies.
“You shouldn’t rush to make money; the starting point should be creating content you love and enjoy,”Khaby Lame said.
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