Not many people are able to say that they’ve emerged from the pandemic unscathed and completely transformed. For young, rising “Khaby” Lame, though, the impact of Covid-19 presented an opportunity for his life to be changed for the better, forever…  

 The Reigning King Of TikTok 

Now, let’s be honest. It’s a common headline these days: “Young content creator makes it big” or “Social media star breaks the internet.”  

That being said, it’s only once in a while that a truly unique personality breaks through the algorithm, without saying a single word on camera, and goes absolutely viral across the globe for it. And this is true for the Senegalese-Italian factory worker turned TikTok sensation.  

I HAVE BIG DREAMS AND WILL NOT STOP UNTIL I HAVE REACHED THEM   

Khaby Showed Us That Silence Is Golden  

The 22-year-old was born in Senegal, in 2000. Soon after, he and his family relocated to Chivasso, a little town situated in Northern Italy. He remembers having a rather “normal” childhood, taking a keen liking to all things animé and even giving football a go.  

But, what stands out about his childhood is his knack for keeping those around him laughing and entertained. Fast-forward to the rapid spread of Covid-19 in 2020, in Italy, which is when Khaby was laid off from his job as a factory worker.  

“The pandemic had just started and I was bored, with a lot of time on my hands, so I started making videos on TikTok,” he explains. And his completely wordless videos that tend to mock overly complicated life hacks (with his obvious and simple solutions) have been resonating with millions across the globe ever since.  

“Making people laugh has always been my biggest passion in life. I have big dreams and will not stop until I have reached them,” he says. “Most of my inspiration comes from my everyday life. I surf the net, TikTok and other social platforms for ideas. But it’s not easy at all.  

Every day, I spend at least three hours looking for the right video to parody. I always try to be careful not to offend anyone with my videos, and I always prefer to joke with light-hearted parody.  

I think the reason that I am silent speaks louder – it is accessible to more people than if I would make my videos in English. I speak a universal language that everyone understands.”  

IT FILLS ME WITH SO MUCH JOY THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTING ME AND GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO DO WHAT I LOVE

Video Content Still Rules

Just two years after joining the TikTok world, Khaby’s following has surpassed some of the platform’s biggest stars, such as Charli D’Amelio (147.5M), Bella Poarch (91.9M) and even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (59.9M).  

With video content taking centre stage right now, the satirical star has set a record for having the fastest growing TikTok account that the world has seen thus far. His content does well on Instagram and so do his YouTube shorts – an added bonus, of course.  

“My follower base is my family, and I would not be who I am without family. I would never see them as just numbers, as everybody is someone I want to build relationships with, both offline and online,” he explains when asked about his success.  

“I love to meet them in real life, and to engage them in my life. That’s the reason why I always try to keep my videos genuine and authentic. In the near term I also have a lot of surprises for them coming up.” 

Now Khaby Is A Globe Trotting Star  

After attending the Venice Film Festival as a special guest in 2021, for the first screening of French film Lost Illusions by Xavier Giannoli, Khaby quickly became one of the highest paid TikTokers in the world and has since caught the attention of many celebrities and influencers. However, he has also become quite popular with fashionistas and famous designers.   

At present, the quirky youngster is a global ambassador for Hugo Boss, and launched the BOSS x Khaby Capsule Collection for Spring/Summer 2022.  

At the beginning of this year, Khaby also featured alongside top models, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, in the #BeYourOwnBoss campaign video. Adding to his impressive list of accolades, he was nominated as one of Forbes’ Top Creators 2022 (ranking 8th place) and was honoured as the face of the coveted Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2022 Art & Culture list.  

“It fills me with so much joy that so many people are supporting me and giving me the chance to do what I love,” he says. Surely on a roll, the global sensation doesn’t plan on taking a break anytime soon.  

“My dream collaboration is definitely with my idol, Will Smith. I would also love to work with Eddie Murphy, who is a phenomenal actor,” he admits. “My background and journey give me the strength to believe in my dreams and to move forward, because with commitment and perseverance they can come true.”  

With loads of potential to branch out into multiple fields, Khaby is set to make historic moves no matter what he puts his mind to. For now, his fans across the world wait in anticipation to see what magic he creates next…