World’s biggest TikToker from Senegal sells company in $900m deal

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/worlds-biggest-tiktoker-from-senegal-sells-company-in-dollar900m-deal/z9nr4ex

28 Comments

  1. Here is the important detail:

    Khaby Lame has entered into a $900 million acquisition and strategic partnership deal with US-Iisted Rich Sparkle Holdings.

  2. Beneficial_Soup3699 on

    Gotta expand Western propaganda into the region somehow now that USAID is dead, I guess.

  3. What assets are they buying? I wonder if we’ve lost control on valuations and we are floating on vibes now.

    I wonder how vibes will hold up In a severe valuation reset where the price actually matters

  4. Good for him but how is TikTok making so much money?  Why do people use it and if they feel the need why aren’t they using ad blockers.  It’s baffling to me. 

  5. reading the article, I’m confused

    They gave Khaby’s company 900Mil in shares – he owns 49% of it so he gets a hair under 450mil in stock. Cool. That I understand

    BUT

    They only bought some of the company, and only get exclusive rights to Khaby’s brand partnerships/endorsements etc. for 3 years – so it sounds like they paid 900Mil to just manage Khaby for a bit – but now Khaby is a controlling stakeholder in Rich Sparkle, so they gave this dude 450mil to… Let him have a say in his own company? It reads like they invested, but is being branded as a sale, so I’m confused.

    Also, it seems they also purchased his likeness for AI

    >the agreement also authorises the development of an AI-powered digital twin of Lame, enabling regulated use of his facial features, voice patterns, and behavioural cues.

    >Rich Sparkle says this could support multilingual content, virtual livestreams, and round-the-clock engagement.

    >

    That makes more sense. Khaby sold his likeness and a bit of his company so now he gets to sit back, still have SOME day, and not actually be in front of camera’s unless he wants

  6. OurDumbCentury on

    The guy who mugged to the camera after trendy videos? Isn’t this just someone selling meme of themself?

  7. I havnt heard about this guy in years. Does he still just make the reaction face or does he do anything worth watching?

  8. UnknownSampleRate on

    No wonder the world is going to crap when this is what society puts value on over equality and sharing and the rights to live in peace and be happy. 

  9. >Khaby Lame rose to global prominence through silent, minimalist videos that humorously dismantle overly complicated life hacks.

    Oh the irony of a $900 million deal to replicate a silent actor with AI when they could just as well have hired a couple people to make similar videos.

  10. He’s Senegalese now?

    No longer popular enough to refer to him as Italian? You know, the country where he grew up and currently lives.

  11. For being one of the first victim’s of ICE, when they still allowed for voluntary deportation, I’m glad to see him continue with his success.

  12. $900m value based on shared equity and potential growth…. So nowhere near $900m cash, but shared ownership with a ‘projection’ to grow into a $4B business… where $900m comes into this is very misleading at cursory reading.

  13. According_Suit2447 on

    This deal is suss af, the company that bought it, Rich Sparkle Holdings, was founded in 2016 as a financial printing and services company, based in Hong Kong. The channel is about to become a CCP or MAGA mouthpiece, there’s no middle ground here.

  14. Well shit. Good for him. I think AI is stupid, but if I could sell my likeness for $900m, I probably would too. (Assuming that’s what it’s being used for).

  15. All-stock with penny stock ANPA — zero cash. 75M new shares at inflated $13 valuation. Lame gets ~49% of extremely volatile microcap. Hype vibes, not riches.

  16. amazing_asstronaut on

    Stop making stupid people famous. And rich, and powerful. Fuck this guy. No TikTok shit is worth this much money. This is all money stolen from health, science, infrastructure, you name it. Fuck all these freaks. They are only profiting from human societal destruction.