Khaby Lame (born March 9, 2000) is a social media star and content creator from Senegal, based in Italy. He gained fame through his videos on TikTok and currently has over 62 million followers on the platform, making him one of the most followed TikTokers in Italy. He is also popular on Instagram and Twitter. He began using TikTok in March 2020 and in just one year he gained one million followers. His success came suddenly when his videos started going viral in early 2021. He currently has his own manager.

Beginnings

Khaby Lame was born on March 9th, 2000 in Senegal. After spending his early years in Senegal, he and his family moved to Chivasso, Italy, where he has lived and studied since. He enjoys traveling and having fun with friends, but due to the pandemic, he had to stay isolated like the rest of the population. It was then that he decided to try his luck on TikTok, uploading funny videos in which he didn’t say a single word but his expression said it all. And although he wasn’t seeking fame, it soon arrived thanks to TikTok’s algorithm.

Khaby Lame and Fame on TikTok

In March 2020, Khaby joined TikTok to escape boredom during quarantine and as a distraction from the pandemic. Although his videos were not groundbreaking, they managed to capitalize on a common theme, which is the criticism of silly videos that can be found on the internet. Videos that make you wonder why someone would even bother filming that. While most people would just ignore it and move on, Khaby chose to record his incredulous reaction, emphasizing how ridiculous the video was. Thus, from the comfort of his home and with minimal production, his videos began to gain followers.

In a matter of a year, Khaby had amassed over one million followers on the app, and since then his following has continued to grow. The breakthrough came in April 2021, when his videos went viral on the app, making him a household name in Italy and around the world. Khaby is currently one of the most well-known TikTokers in the world, being the most followed TikToker in Italy, with Gianluca Vacchi coming in second place. He is also in the top 30 of the most followed users worldwide.

With his success, new opportunities also came along and a better-planned strategy. Today, Khaby has his own manager, carefully thinks through each of his videos, and not only replicates his success but also aims to diversify his content.

Khaby currently has over 154.3 million followers on TikTok, 79.9 million on Instagram, and 370,000 followers on Twitter.