Khaby Lame Reveals the First Big Purchase He Made After Becoming Famous Was to Help His Family (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Flavia Lucidi Photographer

“Before TikTok, I was working in a factory. I had a lot of different jobs,” the 24-year-old Italian influencer with Senegalese roots tells PEOPLE as one of the2024 Creators of the Year. “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, who now boasts 162.4 million followers on TikTok, became famous for his silent videos mocking overly complicated “life hacks.” But long before he became a global sensation, he was just a young man experimenting with TikTok for fun.

“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 says. “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.”

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Since rising to fame, Lame has turned his TikTok stardom into a flourishing career, attending prestigious award shows like theGrammysand theOscars, and partnering with Hugo Boss, walking in their Milan Fashion Week show in September. But one achievement stands out above the rest.

“The first thing I did with the money I’ve made is buy a bigger house for my family,” he says. “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.”

Among those he considers family is his manager,Nicola Paparusso, who played a key role in his rise to stardom. “He’s very close to me and my family,” he says of the 61-year-old Italian artist manager and film producer. “I consider him like a second father.”

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Grateful for his success so far, Lame is far from slowing down. He’s now taking his talents from TikTok to the big screen, starting with a cameo inBad Boys: Ride or Diethis past June.

“That was crazy,” Lame tells PEOPLE about his experience on set withWill SmithandMartin Lawrence. “Will Smith has been my idol for years, and when he called my team out of nowhere and asked if I could be in his movie, I said, ‘Don’t ask me twice. I’m coming right away.’”

Looking ahead, Lame is excited to continue his Hollywood career while using his platform to make a difference in the world. “I’m working on a production withRobert Redfordfocused on climate change,” the social media star shares about an upcoming project set to take place in Africa.

“I’m looking forward to this because I am passionate about climate change,” he adds. “I am a big influencer with a lot of young people who are going to be our future. So when they asked me to do this I said ‘Absolutely. Let’s show them how lucky we are to have all of the things that we have.’ It has been a long time since I’ve seen somebody powerful on social media show what’s going on in other countries.”

2025 has a lot in store for Lame, including new projects, campaigns and maybe even the reveal of his voice on social media. “I’m not going to answer that question. I can’t spoil everything,” Lame says with a laugh. “But this is only the beginning.”

source: people.com