Khaby Lame, The Most-Followed Creator On TikTok, Sells His Operating Company For US$975 Million
The acquisition marks the first time that a content creator has sold their operating company to a publicly listed company.
Khaby Lame, the most-followed creator on TikTok, has sold his operating company, Step Distinctive Limited, to US-listed and Virgin Islands-based Rich Sparkle Holdings for US$975 million. The acquisition marks the first time that a content creator has sold their operating company to a publicly listed company.
The agreement between the two companies will also allow for the development of an AI-powered digital twin of Lame that will use authorized facial, voice, and behavioral data. Within regulatory and compliance frameworks, this would support the production of multilingual content while also enabling virtual livestream commerce that can operate across time zones and extended durations.
In a statement, Rich Sparkle Holdings said that a Chinese live-streaming e-commerce firm will join the company as a strategic shareholder and operating partner. The new partner operates an influencer-led commerce network in China that includes nearly 20 creators with tens of millions of followers each, alongside more than 10,000 content distributors, with a combined audience estimated at close to 400 million followers.
Under the agreement, Rich Sparkle Holdings and its partner will hold exclusive global commercial operating rights for Lame for 36 months, with the partner overseeing e-commerce operations such as content planning, traffic management, TikTok Shop operations, and supply chain fulfillment. The partnership is intended to combine Lame’s international reach with an established e-commerce operating model developed in the Chinese market, while supporting cross-border commerce through coordinated product selection, logistics, quality control, and after-sales services.
Following the transaction, Rich Sparkle Holdings will oversee a combined creator network with an estimated global audience of around 800 million followers across platforms, as part of its plan to bring creator-led businesses under a listed company structure. The company plans to focus its commercial efforts on the US, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with market-specific pricing and profit accounting based on local demand and logistics considerations. Rich Sparkle Holdings will also oversee advertising collaborations with international brands and plans to develop co-branded products in categories including beauty, fragrance, and apparel.
Lame’s rise on social media began in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Born in Senegal and raised in Italy, he worked in a factory and as a waiter, earning about $1,000 a month, before losing his job in March 2020. During the ensuing lockdowns during the pandemic, Lame began posting short videos on TikTok from his parents’ apartment.
Lame's content, built around facial expressions and physical gestures rather than spoken language, gained traction quickly. By avoiding dialogue, Lame was able to reach audiences across languages and regions, a factor that accelerated his global growth. Lame became known for parodying viral trends, exaggerated life hacks, and staged online tutorials, using silent, deadpan humor to offer simple visual punchlines. The approach led him to become the most-followed creator on TikTok, with nearly 160.4 million followers, as well as a total audience of around 360 million followers across social media platforms.
Pictured in the lead image is content creator Khaby Lame. Image courtesy Khaby Lame's Facebook page.
