Khaby Lame: World's Most-Followed TikToker Sells Company for Nearly $1 Billion

Khaby Lame, the world's most-followed TikToker, has cemented his status as a global business powerhouse after finalising a landmark $900 million (£708 million) transaction to sell his core operating entity, Step Distinctive Limited.

The 25-year-old Senegalese-Italian star has sold his core operating company in an all-stock transaction valued at between $900 million and $975 million, according to parties involved in the agreement.

The deal, officially closed on 11 January 2026 and with the final strategic phases concluded this Friday, 23 January 2026, sees the former factory worker move beyond traditional brand endorsements to become a controlling shareholder in Rich Sparkle Holdings (NASDAQ: ANPA). This seismic evolution in digital commercialisation bridges Lame's Italian roots with a US-listed, Hong Kong-based platform, engineered to turn viral influence into an industrial-scale e-commerce empire.

The agreement also includes a strategic partnership with Anhui Xiaoheiyang Network Technology Co., Ltd. (the core affiliate of China's 'Crazy Little Brother Yang' / Three Sheep system), which will act as the sole e-commerce operator. Under the terms of the agreement, Rich Sparkle Holdings acquires exclusive commercial rights to Lame's global brand for an initial 36-month period.

Rich Sparkle Holdings estimates that by integrating Lame's 360 million-strong cross-platform audience into their 'full-chain' operations, spanning manufacturing, logistics, and digital storefronts, the brand could generate upwards of $4 billion in annual sales.

The Rise of the AI 'Digital Twin'

A standout component of the billion-dollar deal is the authorisation of a hyper-realistic AI 'Digital Twin' of Khaby Lame. The agreement grants the acquiring company the rights to use Lame's Face ID, Voice ID, and signature behavioural cues to create content without his physical presence. This move is designed to solve the primary hurdle in creator marketing: the limitations of time and geography.

By deploying this digital avatar, the company can produce multilingual advertisements and host simultaneous virtual livestreams across different time zones. This 'round-the-clock' engagement strategy allows the Khaby Lame brand to operate continuously while the creator focuses on high-level creative direction and equity management. The combined fan matrix, following the integration with Three Sheep Group, is estimated to reach nearly 800 million followers worldwide. Analysts view this as a blueprint for the future of celebrity, where a 'digital likeness' acts as a permanent, revenue-generating asset.

From Chivasso Factory to Global Boardroom

Lame's trajectory remains the definitive underdog story of the social media era. After losing his job at a factory in Chivasso, Italy, during the 2020 pandemic, his silent parodies of overcomplicated 'life hacks' transcended language barriers to capture a global audience.

Now, with a combined fan matrix—including the Three Sheep Group integration—approaching 800 million followers, Lame is no longer just a face for brands but the architect of his own corporate infrastructure. Industry observers suggest this valuation, once reserved for major Hollywood studios, proves that digital-first human brands now command the same weight as legacy media conglomerates.

Why This Matters Beyond Khaby

Industry observers say the transaction marks a turning point in digital media economics. It replaces personality-driven sponsorships with an ownership-led model in which creators sit within the corporate machinery that monetises their influence.

For Khaby Lame, the deal closes one chapter while opening another. The former factory worker now occupies a boardroom role in a system designed to operate at a global scale, quietly proving that silence, when combined with structure, can command billion-dollar valuations.