What do Beyoncé, Zendaya, and Khaby Lame all have in common? Recently, they were deemed as social media’s top Black influencers.

Khaby Lame has quickly become one of the most sought-out acts on social media. Now, a recent report from Forbes is detailing the big bucks that come with being the most-followed TikToker in the world. @khaby.lame It’s better to run ma g 🤣 🏃🏿‍♂️ 🦁 #learnfromkhaby #learnontiktok @TikTok @tiktok creators ♬ suono originale – Khabane lame

Khaby Lame has come a long way from his “modest” beginnings. As the most-followed user on TikTok, Lame — a native of Senegal who currently calls Italy home — has been tapped by Mark Zuckerberg to promote Meta, secured a multi-year deal with Hugo Boss, and even got paid to promote the world’s first-ever nitrogen-infused soda. Yet, despite all of these accomplishments, Khaby Lame isn’t the highest-paid TikToker. Let’s take a look at why that might be.

Khaby Lame is continuing to make moves in silence — literally! As previously shared by AfroTech, the TikTok star was enlisted by Mark Zuckerberg for Meta’s promo in November 2021. Then, at the top of 2022, he went on to sign a multi-year deal with the iconic fashion line Hugo Boss. His latest win is partnering with Pepsi on an ad campaign called “A Smoother Way to Soda” for Nitro Pepsi, Marketing Dive reports. The new drink — described as “the first-ever nitrogen-infused cola that’s actually softer than a soft drink,” — was first revealed to the public in February. Ahead of the new product officially hitting shelves nationwide on March 28, Lame became a part of its marketing rollout. “Since Khaby Lame is known for pointing out the obvious with the use of his signature hand gestures, we felt he was the perfect person to show the world Nitro Pepsi is a simple solution for those who prefer less carbonation than that of a traditional cola,” said Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer at...

Forbes has just released its list of highest TikTok earners. And in the news that should shock no one (though by no means does it make it any less annoying), exactly zero of the top earners on the platform are Black. Even worse, the top earners on the platform are getting opportunities that aren’t available to their Black counterparts. For example, Variety reports that Charli and Dixie D’Amelio — sisters who have made more than $20 million, combined, on the popular social media platform — have secured their own show courtesy of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Media. They also had their own Hulu reality show, and have secured countless endorsement deals. What’s more, TikTok’s top influencers can charge a pretty penny for a sponsored post. According to Variety, most of the top influencers charge an average of $100,000 to $250,000 per post, with a top influencer charging $500,000 for just one sponsored post. Yet, Black TikTok stars are just as formidable as their white...

TikTok’s second most followed creator Khaby Lame is known for putting things plainly, but his recent candid social media posts have reportedly lost him followers. According to Dexerto, Lame posted the hashtag #notoracism on his TikTok in September. He later followed up on his sentiments on Oct. 6 by posting “Say no to racism” on his Instagram story. The outlet reports that screenshots of the influencer’s story suggest that people unfollowed him for those posts. “I don’t mind guys,” Lame shared in a now deleted post. “We are almost in 2022 and people still use racism because they have nothing to do in their life. Be happy, follow your dream and try to save the planet. You can also unfollow me. I don’t care about the numbers, I care about your hearts! If you do think of something new, do it right and in a positive way!” The Senegalese-Italian TikToker took his act of spreading love a step further by linking a charity fundraiser — gogetfunding.com — on his story for his followers to...

Move over white TikTokers! According to Insider, Khabane Lame has officially surpassed Addison Rae to become the second-most-followed TikToker in the world. The 21-year-old is also expected to pass Charli D’Amelio to become the most popular TikToker of all time. Lame is known for his comic expression and reaction videos to people doing things that don’t really make sense. His videos usually include him staring into the camera before sarcastically proving that there’s a simpler way to do whatever task is at hand. His latest reaction is to a clip of someone using scissors to open a container of milk. In the video, the Senegalese-Italian creator simply peels a milk carton open before pouring the liquid into a glass while smirking at the camera. “It’s my face and my facial expressions that make people laugh,” said Lame in an interview with The Times. @khaby.lame Let’s eat ? But I don’t like seeing you make your life harder. Mangiamo ? ma non mi piace che ti complichi la vita....