Global TikTok sensation Khaby Lame has sold his core company in a major business deal valued at approximately Sh116 billion ($975 million), marking one of the biggest transactions ever involving a social media creator.
According to Forbes, Lame sold Step Distinctive Limited, the company that manages his brand, commercial partnerships, and business operations, to Rich Sparkle Holdings, a publicly listed company based in Hong Kong.
The deal was completed through a share-based transaction in which Rich Sparkle issued 75 million new ordinary shares to acquire Step Distinctive, instead of paying cash.
As a result of the share issuance, Khaby Lame becomes the largest shareholder in the expanded company, giving him significant influence over its future direction.
Despite selling the company, Lame will continue to lead and operate Step Distinctive, maintaining control over his brand and creative decisions.
The agreement allows him to remain the public face of the business while benefiting from the company’s expansion into new markets and technologies.
Lame has also agreed to allow Rich Sparkle to use his image, voice, facial expressions, and behavioural patterns to create a digital AI version of him.
This “digital twin” could be used in live online shopping, advertising, and interactive content, allowing his brand to operate around the clock across different countries and languages.
Rich Sparkle, on its part, said the partnership could transform Lame’s massive online popularity into a global commercial machine capable of generating more than Sh480 billion ($4 billion) in annual sales, especially through digital commerce and entertainment platforms.
Lame’s deal now stands as one of the largest monetisation deals in digital history, rivalling the landmark exits of traditional “celebrity-preneurs” like Kylie Jenner.
In 2019, Jenner famously sold a 51% stake in Kylie Cosmetics for Sh77.4bn ($600 million), a deal that set the standard for creators leveraging their personal brands to build retail empires.
However, while Jenner’s success was rooted in physical product sales, Lame’s deal is fundamentally built on intellectual property and technology.
In simple terms, Lame has essentially transitioned from a content creator to a controlling shareholder in a billion-dollar infrastructure.
Khaby Lame is currently the most followed creator on TikTok, with over 160 million followers worldwide.
He rose to fame for his silent, humorous reaction videos that mock unnecessarily complicated life hacks, using simple gestures and facial expressions to make his point.
Born in Senegal and raised in Italy, Lame began posting on TikTok after losing his factory job during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he went viral.
His content has since earned him lucrative endorsement deals with major international brands and appearances at high-profile fashion and entertainment events.