Khaby Lame, The Top-Paid Black Creator In 2024, According To Forbes, Reveals The First Thing He Did Once He Found Legitimate Success

Khabane “Khaby” Lame chose to give back to his family as one of his first acts of success.

As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Lame was once a factory worker in Chivasso, Italy, barely earning enough to make ends meet. He also worked several other jobs, driven by his commitment to support his family.

“Before TikTok, I was working in a factory. I had a lot of different jobs,” he told People. “I was helping support my family — three little brothers, one older brother, and my parents. Then my world changed completely. It’s a whole different life now.”

Lame’s circumstances took a dramatic turn for the better, all thanks to social media. What began as a simple hobby — silently reacting to memes and viral videos — quickly evolved into a life-changing platform for his unique, wordless humor.

Lame would soon find social media stardom, amassing 162.4 million followers and 2.5 billion likes on TikTok alone, along with an additional 81.3 million followers on Instagram (at the time of this writing).

“When I discovered TikTok during COVID, I was making videos for fun. It was a way for all of us to step outside of all the things that were going on in the world,” he explained to People. “I was just there trying to make people laugh. It wasn’t something that I expected to be my form of work in the future.”

Lame has become the highest-paid Black creator, with a reported $20 million in earnings, as noted by Forbes. His partnerships over the years include major companies such as Sony, Warner Bros. Pictures, Hugo Boss, Mr. Pink Brand, and Walmart. Additionally, he was listed 10th overall on Forbes’ 2024 Top Creators list.

Despite his remarkable journey from working in a factory to achieving global fame, Lame remains grounded, steering clear of extravagant spending. However, his first priority upon achieving success was investing in his family, demonstrating his deep commitment to those closest to him.

“The first thing I did with the money I’ve made is buy a bigger house for my family,” Lame said to People. “We’re a family of seven. It’s a big family. I don’t like to spend a lot of money, but for this, my family has always done so much for me.”