Khaby Lame Reveals How Much He Makes As The Most Followed TikToker

BYGabriel Bras NevaresUpdated on September 26, 202218.7K Views

Khaby Lame

With over 149.5 million followers, the TikTok star is making millions more in brand deals.

It's been a big year for TikTok sensation Khaby Lame, who just recently passed Charli D'Amelio as the most followed person on the platform. His viral clips, best known for their wordless comedy, are endeared by millions and have resulted in big partnerships with the likes of Snoop Dogg and other Internet powerhouses. In a recent profile with Fortune, the 22-year-old detailed just how much cash a TikTok can get him.

@khaby.lame A day with my uncle @snoopdogg #learnfromkhaby #learnontiktok @TikTok @tiktok creators ♬ It's Corn - Tariq & The Gregory Brothers & Recess Therapy

Lame earned $450,000 for his partnership with Hugo Boss, walking for its Milan Fashion Week show and making an accompanying post. Fortune also broke down a $750,000 contract with a major Hollywood studio for a single video. With these deals and more vitality, Khaby Lame is expected to make $10 million this year.

That's the kind of money that 2.4 billion likes on TikTok can get you, but it's clear that Lame wants to venture outside the platform as well. He spoke in the Fortune profile about his dedication to learning English and said he spends an hour with a tutor every day in addition to watching U.S. cartoons and movies. Given that he's expressed a strong desire to work with Will Smith, he's manifesting his acting aspirations on all fronts.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Lame's manager said that "he started to dream about being an actor after watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air... His goal is to be in a movie, hopefully, one day with [Will]."

A post shared by Khaby Lame (@khaby00)

The Senegalese-born celebrity immigrated to Italy with his parents and three siblings in 2001. After losing his job as a factory machine worker due to the pandemic in 2020, he joined TikTok began to grow his brand. He officially became a citizen of Italy last month.

“I am very proud,” he said after the milestone. “I felt Italian even before today, because I’ve always lived here. I feel a great sense of responsibility for the oath I took. These are not just words.”

Khaby Lame's made a fortune with very few words, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him on the silver screen soon.

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About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.