Italian-Senegalese TikTok sensation Khaby Lame has struck a landmark business deal, selling his company, Step Distinctive Limited, to Hong Kong-based Rich Sparkle Holdings in a transaction valued at $975 million.
According to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the acquisition will be executed through the issuance of 75 million ordinary shares of Rich Sparkle, effectively making the 25-year-old content creator a controlling shareholder in the holding company.
Step Distinctive Limited, which manages Lame’s global brand and commercial activities, will continue to be led by him despite the takeover. Prior to the deal, Lame owned 49 percent of the company.
Rich Sparkle Holdings projects that Lame’s fan-driven commercialization could generate more than $4 billion in annual sales. As part of the agreement, Lame has authorized the use of his Face ID, Voice ID, and behavioral models for the development of an AI-powered “digital twin” to drive multilingual, cross-time-zone livestream e-commerce.
Global Livestream Boom
Livestream e-commerce has become a powerhouse industry in China, generating over $40 billion in sales in 2024, with forecasts predicting growth to $672 billion by 2033. The trend is spreading globally, with platforms such as TikTok Shop and Whatnot recording billions in sales in the United States. Rich Sparkle hopes to leverage Lame’s digital twin to tap into this booming market.
From Layoff to Global Fame
Born in Senegal and raised in Italy, Lame began posting on TikTok in 2020 after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic. His silent comedy skits quickly gained traction, and by August 2021, he had amassed 100 million followers, becoming the first Europe-based creator to reach that milestone. Today, he is the most-followed person on TikTok, with over 160 million followers and 2.6 billion likes.
His meteoric rise has landed him lucrative partnerships with brands such as Hugo Boss, Airbnb, Binance, and several Hollywood studios. He also ranked 10th on Forbes’ 2025 list of Top Creators, with estimated earnings of $20 million.
Recent Controversy
Lame made headlines last June when he was briefly detained at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for overstaying his visa. He was later granted voluntary departure, allowing him to reapply for entry in the future.
Despite the setback, his influence continues to grow, with his most popular videos attracting over 300 million views each. From walking the Met Gala red carpet to starring in a Super Bowl campaign, Khaby Lame’s journey from factory layoff to global stardom remains one of the most remarkable success stories of the digital age.
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