A sensational piece of news has spread around Senegalese-origin blogger Khaby Lame, who is known for his silent videos on TikTok. According to Tell News Magazine, he has signed a 975-million-dollar deal related to intellectual property rights.
The report states that the US-based company Rich Sparkle Holdings has obtained exclusive rights to use Lame’s intellectual property for a period of three years. These rights also include the possibility of creating his artificial intelligence-based digital copy.
Notably, Lame did not receive the payment in the form of a simple “fee.” According to the publication’s interpretation, he became a shareholder with a controlling stake in the company, thus attempting to move from being a regular content creator to a corporate player.
Experts describe this model as a “new formula for influencer income”: instead of one-time advertising payments, relying on company equity may bring greater long-term control and expansion benefits.
Lame’s path is also far from a typical scenario: from an ordinary factory worker laid off in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic to one of the most popular content creators on TikTok with over 160 million followers. His minimalist, wordless content opened doors to partnerships with the world’s largest brands.
According to the publication, the company’s forecasts suggest that Lame’s audience could generate more than 4 billion dollars in annual turnover through social commerce, licensing, and AI-powered content creation.
Following the announcement of the deal, financial markets reacted immediately: shares of Rich Sparkle Holdings reportedly rose by more than 250 percent within a single trading day.
In short, if these figures are confirmed, a new rule is being written in the influencer world: “advertising is yesterday, equity is today.”
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