Khaby Lame

Khabane Serigne Lame, born on March 9, 2000, in Dakar, Senegal, moved to Chivasso, near Turin, Italy, with his family at the age of one. He resided in a public housing complex with his three siblings and received his education in Italian schools until he was 14. During his youth, he also spent time studying at a madrasa near Dakar, Senegal. Prior to his rise to internet fame, Lame worked as a CNC machine operator at a factory near Turin. In March 2020, he was laid off from this position during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following his layoff, Lame began posting content on TikTok, initially featuring videos of himself dancing and playing video games. His career trajectory shifted when he started creating video responses using TikTok’s “duet” and “stitch” features. These videos typically involved him silently mocking overly complicated ‘life hacks’ and other situational content, performing simple solutions followed by a signature hand gesture. This unique, wordless comedic style quickly resonated with a global audience, leading to a rapid increase in his followers. By April 2021, he became the most-followed Italian on TikTok, surpassing Gianluca Vacchi. He then ascended to become the second most-followed personality on the platform globally, and by June 22, 2022, he officially became the most-followed user on TikTok, exceeding Charli D’Amelio with 142.1 million followers.

Lame’s influence expanded beyond TikTok with various professional engagements. In August 2021, he co-starred in Juventus FC’s announcement for Manuel Locatelli. He attended the Venice Film Festival in September 2021 as a special guest and entered into a multi-year partnership with Hugo Boss in January 2022, being featured in their #BeYourOwnBoss campaign. In March 2022, he received the Premio la Moda Veste la Pace from the African Fashion Gate organization. His achievements were recognized by Fortune’s ’40 Under 40′ and Forbes’ ’30 Under 30′ lists in 2022. By the end of 2022, his earnings per post reached up to $750,000, with a projected annual income of $10 million. Lame also served as a juror for the Cannes Festival in 2022, evaluating TikTok short films, and has been a judge on ‘Italia’s Got Talent’ since 2023. In August 2023, he was added as a cosmetic outfit in the video game ‘Fortnite Battle Royale’. In July 2025, Lame was named to the inaugural TIME100 Creators list, acknowledging his global impact as a digital creator.