Khaby Lame

Khabane Lame is a Senegalese-born internet personality from Italy.

He is known for his TikToks in which he silently mocks illogical life hack videos. His TikToks have made him one of the most recognizable faces on social media today.

Lame was born in Dakar, Senegal and his family moved to Italy when he was a year old. He has three siblings. Lame worked as a CNC machine operator at a factory near Turin, before getting laid off in March 2020, according to NYT.

During the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lame began posting on TikTok. His early videos showed him dancing and watching video games, and were mostly filmed in Italian, with Italian subtitling. He rose to popularity with his video responses in the form of TikTok's "duet" and "stitch" features to videos depicting overly complicated and unrealistic "life hacks", in which he performs the same task in a much simpler way, without saying a word.

Taylor Lorenz and Jason Horowitz of The New York Times attributed Lame's overnight success to his "universal exasperated everyman quality" and described his rise to fame as different from most TikTokers as it was "entirely organic" and unprecedented.

Samir Chaudry, the founder of The Publish Press, which focuses on the creator industry and economy, stated that Lame's appeal to the general public was due to him representing "authenticity over production" and "not trying too hard", as compared to other TikTok stars of his age.

Lame has said his growing popularity is due to his facial expressions and his silence, which he has described as "a way to reach as many people as possible", according to an interview with Quartz Africa. As of now, 8 of the 25 most-liked videos on TikTok are his (source: Newsweek).

Before rising to fame on social media, Khaby Lame worked as a machine operator in a factory near Turin, Italy. However, in March 2020, he lost his job due to a layoff. Shortly after, he began posting on TikTok, where his unique approach of silently simplifying overly complicated life hacks quickly gained him a massive following.

In 2020, Lame became one of 19 TikTok creators to benefit from TikTok’s $2 billion Creator Fund, which he utilized to further develop his content.

By April 2021, Khaby had become the most-followed Italian TikToker, surpassing Gianluca Vacchi. Just a few months later, in July 2021, he overtook Addison Rae to become the second most-followed TikTok creator globally, a position he continues to hold.

Khaby's popularity opened doors to collaborations with several prominent personalities. In August 2021, he appeared as a co-star in Juventus F.C.'s announcement of Manuel Locatelli, featuring alongside players like Paulo Dybala, Weston McKennie, Alessandro Del Piero, and Arthur Melo. In September 2021, he attended the Venice Film Festival as a guest for the screening of the French film Lost Illusions, directed by Xavier Giannoli.

That same month, he also starred in a commercial for the Indian fantasy sports app Dream11, which was created with White Rivers Media and featured Indian creators Viraj Ghelani and Tanish Shah, blending his signature 'uncomplicating' theme with the brand's slogan.

In October 2021, following the global success of Squid Game, Lame participated in a themed commercial for Netflix alongside AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, catching the attention of platforms like TikTok and Instagram, as well as AC Milan.

In January 2022, Khaby signed a multi-year partnership with Hugo Boss, becoming a central figure in their #BeYourOwnBoss campaign and modeling for their Spring Summer 2022 Fashion Show in Dubai. Additionally, he secured endorsement deals with Xbox and Amazon Prime. By 2022, he also had an agreement with Netflix, further solidifying his place in mainstream media.

Khaby expanded his presence to other social media platforms as well. He joined YouTube on May 9, 2021, where he has 4.84 million subscribers and 1.7 million views as of 2022, mostly posting YouTube Shorts, often cross-posted from TikTok. On Instagram, his content, including his #learnwithinstagram series, has attracted 77.9 million followers, where he simplifies complicated tasks and performs various comedy sketches.

Khaby Lame's rise to prominence was further acknowledged when he was named in both Fortune's 40 Under 40 and Forbes' 30 Under 30 lists for 2022. These honors highlighted his swift ascent in the digital world and his growing influence as a social media star. In March 2022, he was also awarded the "La Moda veste la Pace" award, underscoring his increasing stature in the fashion industry.

A defining moment in Lame's career occurred in June 2022 when he overtook Charli D'Amelio to become the most-followed person on TikTok, cementing his status as a global social media sensation. This milestone not only solidified his place at the top of the TikTok rankings but also translated into significant financial success, with reports suggesting he earns up to $750,000 for each sponsored post.

Lame's influence wasn't confined to social media; it expanded into the entertainment industry as well. He made an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, reflecting his growing presence in the cinematic and entertainment circles. In March 2023, he took on a new role as a judge on "Italia's Got Talent," marking his entry into mainstream television and broadening his appeal to a wider audience.

By August 2023, Lame's widespread popularity led to a collaboration with the popular video game Fortnite, where a Khaby Lame skin was teased for players. This partnership highlighted his broad appeal across various media platforms and demonstrated his ability to engage with different age groups and audiences.

Throughout his career, Khaby has collaborated with a wide range of influencers and celebrities, including King Bach, Alessandro Riggio, Marco Zedda, Ceppe, Joel Lirica, Daniel LaBelle, Terry Crews, Naomi Campbell, Ed Sheeran, J Balvin, and Greta Thunberg. He also took part in a campaign with Mark Zuckerberg for Meta's Metaverse venture and worked with football stars like Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kylian Mbappe, Paulo Dybala, Vinicius Jr., and Raphael Varane.

As of 2024, Khaby Lame's net worth is $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He mostly earns from his brand endorsements and social media posts.

In addition to TikTok, Khaby is active on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, mainly producing original short form content and cross-posting videos from TikTok.

Khaby Lame practices Islam. Lame announced his engagement to Zaira Nucci in October 2020. As of 2024, they have been reported to be married, according to The New York Times in 2021.

Lame lives in Milan as an expatriate with his agent. Although he has been living in Italy since he was young, he is a Senegalese citizen and does not hold Italian citizenship. He has stated, "Sincerely, I don't need a piece of paper to define myself as Italian”.

Lame, according to his The New York Times interview, has said that due to being a Senegalese citizen, he has faced difficulties in getting Italian citizenship, as well as visas for countries like the US.

For a very long time, even though he was popular on TikTok, he did not earn enough to be able to buy a house with comparatively more decent infrastructure. However, according to his recent videos, he has been able to do that.

In this video, Khaby demonstrates how to get out of the car safely, while debunking a backseat mirror hack- 351.3 m views.

In this video, Khaby demonstrates how to open a door, using common sense- 297.9 m views.

In this video, Khaby explains how to avoid your hair getting stuck in uncomfortable positions-300 m views

In this video Khaby explains how to use toilet paper using common sense-279.2 m views.

In this video Khaby demonstrates how to safely untangle your shirt from a car door……by opening the car door- 276.2 m views.