Khaby Lame, the world's most followed TikToker, has partnered with Rich Sparkle Holdings Ltd to execute one of the largest business transactions by an online content creator to date.
According to data from Bloomberg, Lame is selling a stake of his company, Step Distinctive Ltd., to Hong Kong-based firm Rich Sparkle.
The company plans to grow the 25-year-old creator's influence by pursuing brand collaborations and launching co-branded products across categories such as beauty, fragrance and apparel.
The agreement marks a strategic shift in how global creators monetise their influence, moving beyond traditional brand sponsorships and one-off advertising deals.
From the sale's value to future strategies — All about the deal
The transaction, which values Lame's company at about $975 million, involves the partial acquisition of his business and the formation of a long-term commercial partnership with the Nasdaq-listed Rich Sparkle Holdings Ltd.
The multi-million-dollar deal gives the financial services firm exclusive global rights for the next 36 months to manage and monetise Lame's online presence.
This means the company will handle how his brand is used across platforms, effectively turning him from a traditional influencer into an “equity-backed creator,” according to the company's statement.
It will also feature an AI version of Lame, using his expressions, voice and gestures to create multilingual social media content, as per the agency report.
Before bringing Lame on board, Rich Sparkle mainly focused on financial printing and corporate services, catering primarily to listed companies and institutional clients in Hong Kong.
Rich Sparkle's stock shoots up
Following the announcement, Rich Sparkle's shares surged sharply and are currently trading 18.84% higher at $63.01 on the Nasdaq.
The stock has delivered a staggering return of 188.11% over the past month, and around 142% in the last six months. Over the past year, Rich Sparkle has emerged as a multibagger for investors, rallying by more than 1,690%, according to data from the US stock exchange.
Who is Khaby Lame?
Khaby Lame, an Italian-Senegalese national, has around 160 million followers on TikTok, whereas Charli d’Amelio has 156 million, ranking her second-highest on the platform.
He is also the founder of Step Distinctive Limited, an e-commerce, live-streaming, and content-driven commerce company based in the British Virgin Islands. The firm manages supply chain operations, brand deals, and digital content monetisation.
Lame rose to fame during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating wordless videos simplifying everyday life hacks. Since then, he has built a global fan following of 360 million people across TikTok and Instagram, according to the statement.
The commercialisation of his influence among people and popular online presence on social media platforms is expected to generate more than $4 billion in annual sales, the company said.