Khaby Lame's Rise: From Joblessness to 2nd Most Followed Tiktoker without Saying a Word
- Barely a year before rising to become the second most followed TikToker, Khaby Lame was fired from his job
- With lots of free time on his hands, he embarked on creating content to make people laugh, unaware of how famous he would eventually become
- The 21-year-old now rubs shoulders with global superstars and even featured in an ad with billionaire Mark Zuckerberg
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!
Khaby Lame, a young Senegalese based in Italy, has overcome immeasurable odds to become the second most followed person on TikTok.
Khaby boasts over 121 million followers, behind Charlie D'Amelio, an American dancer with over 129 million followers.
Before going viral during the pandemic and becoming a favourite among world-renown celebrities, the 21-year-old had it rough.
As we speak, Khaby is a global sensation, and PSG star Kylian Mbappe famously aped him while celebrating a goal.
Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through info@corp.legit.ng!
Khaby was also featured in a Squid Game-inspired advert alongside iconic footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovich.
He achieves all this without uttering a single word in his videos.
Jobless Khaby
Before the pandemic, Khaby worked in a factory but lost his job in 2020 when it struck.
With lots of free time on his hands, Khaby started doing TikTok videos. His clips would mostly feature him reacting to videos of people going to extreme ends to perform simple tasks by doing the same task straightforwardly.
When his father noticed how much time he was spending on TikTok, he urged Khaby to look for a job instead, but the young man had his eyes set on the social media platform.
Not saying a word in his clips has played to his advantage, as the videos transcended language barriers.
Boy who works as bus conductor in Lagos, lives under Oshodi bridge becomes chess champion, wins trophy
Khaby becomes famous
Even before people knew his name, videos of the young man had become a mainstay on social media.
However, it was never his intention to become famous. Instead, according to Khaby, he got into content creation for a comical reason.
“I got into it to make people laugh,” said Khaby, citing Will Smith and Eddie Murphy as his idols.
The fame has enabled Khaby to rub shoulders with the who's who in society and attend events that attract the crème de la crème in society.
For instance, while attending a Formula 1 race, Khaby met movie star Vin Diesel and retired sprinter Usain Bolt.
Another video depicted Manchester United star Paul Pogba throwing his jersey at Khaby after spotting him after a match at Old Trafford.
Khaby’s wealth
Khaby, whose net worth is well over N365 million, recently landed a lucrative deal with Meta, formerly Facebook and even appeared in a video alongside CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Davido 'presses necks' as he poses in plush interiors of his Rolls Royce, shades those asking him to calm down
Given how fast he has risen, the sky could not limit this young man.
Nice one.
BBNaija's Erica explains what would have happened if Khaby Lame was Nigerian
Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) Lockdown edition star, Erica Ngozi Nlewedim, made a thought-provoking statement about the popular Italian TikToker, Khaby Lame.
Khaby came to prominence on social media after his seamless myth-busting of life hacks and his famous shrug videos hit the internet. He makes the videos without saying a word.
A curious Nigerian had pointed out that Khaby was one of the biggest content creators at the moment and Erica had something to add. She replied:
"If he was Nigerian they would try to pull him down cos he didn't suffer enough and he is not even working hard enough."
Source: Legit.ng
Taiwo Owolawi (Entertainment Editor) Taiwo Owolawi is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist with four years of work experience at Legit.ng. She graduated from Osun State University with a degree in English and International Studies in 2016. She has also moved on to pursue courses in Public Relations and Copywriting. Taiwo emerged as Legit.ng's Best Entertainment Editor in 2022. Contact: taiwo.owolawi@corp.legit.ng.
Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com