Khaby Lame was born in one of the poorest countries on Earth and is today a multimillionaire. Here are the net worth and earnings of the Italian TikTok star.
From the humblest origins one can possibly have, to a multi-millionaire in just a few years, the story of Khaby Lame is truly a testament to how the concept of a “self-made man” can apply to the XXI century too. Thanks to his viral TikTok videos, Khaby Lame became an international star, creating an enormous net worth for himself and his family.
Khaby was born in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, in the year 2000. Like many of his generation, Khaby’s family moved to Europe in 2001 to improve their quality of life. Senegal is one of the poorest countries on Earth and is very common for young people to emigrate abroad.
These kinds of journeys are incredibly perilous. Sub-saharan immigrants cross the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, often dying under abysmal circumstances. The political instability of Northern Africa also ensures that many immigrants are abducted and tortured by criminal organizations in the desert.
In other cases, human traffickers steal refugees’ money to embark on unreliable vessels that often leave them stranded in the Mediterranean Sea.
Immigration causes such a spur of political and societal debate that the Italian nomination for the 2024 Oscars is Io Capitano, a film about two Senegalese immigrants making the journey.
Some lucky few survive the trip, and even fewer, like Khaby, manage to turn their life around completely once they reach Europe.
How much does Khaby Lame earn?
Khaby Lame found his fortune during the COVID-19 pandemic. Italy was one of the first countries to implement a nationwide lockdown, so Khaby suddenly found himself with a lot of free time.
Khaby found his style by making fun of overly-complicated “life hacks videos”. This format became immediately popular, and Khaby soon gained millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
As of October 2023, Khaby Lame has over 162 million followers on TikTok, 81 million on Instagram, and almost 6 million YouTube subscribers.
Khaby is the second most-followed TikTok creator, with earnings estimated as high as $400,000 per video. His Instagram sponsorships and YouTube earnings bring Khaby’s total yearly revenues to roughly $10 million.
Overall, this puts Khaby Lame’s net worth at $20 million, enough to provide for himself and his family for his entire life.
Khaby now reportedly lives in a $6 million house in Italy, when just a few years ago he lived in a public complex and worked in a factory.
Khaby Lame completely revolutionized the concept of the “self-made man”, giving hope to millions who risk their lives every year to find better opportunities elsewhere.
