Introduction: The Star Who Never Spoke
No words. No money. No excuses. Just creativity and belief.
🧒🏾 2000 – Born in Senegal 🇸🇳
- Full Name: Khabane Lame
- Born: March 9, 2000
- Place: Dakar, Senegal
- His family moved to Italy when he was 1 year old, in search of a better life.
- Grew up in a public housing complex in Chivasso, near Turin, Italy.
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🏫 2000–2018 – A Humble Life in Italy 🇮🇹
- Studied in Italian schools, not great in academics.
- Loved football, anime, and making people laugh.
- Came from a working-class Muslim family.
- Lived a simple life — no luxury, no internet fame dreams back then.
- Worked hard to support his family and dreamed of becoming a professional footballer or actor one day.
🛠️ 2019 – Working in a Factory 🏭
- Took a job as a CNC machine operator (computer numerical control) in a factory.
- Life was routine — wake up, work in machines, sleep.
- No major followers, just a few posts on Instagram and TikTok with friends.
😷 2020 – The Pandemic Hits Hard
- March 2020 – Italy goes into strict lockdown during COVID-19.
- Khaby is laid off from his factory job.
- Suddenly unemployed, stuck at home with only a basic phone and Wi-Fi.
He could have sat depressed. Instead, he picked up his phone… and TikTok.
📱 April 2020 – First TikTok Videos
- Began posting funny skits, reaction videos to weird life hacks.
- No filters, no effects, no dialogue — just expressions.
- His now-famous “duh” face and two-hand gesture started going viral.
I created videos just to make people laugh during the lockdown.
🔥 Late 2020 – Viral Growth Begins
- Gets millions of views by just keeping it real and relatable.
- International audiences love his content because it doesn’t require translation.
- Global meme pages pick up his reactions.
🚀 2021 – The Breakout Year
- Gains tens of millions of followers.
- Overtakes famous creators like Addison Rae.
- Celebrities and brands start noticing.
- Becomes the second-most followed TikToker in the world by end of 2021.
👑 June 2022 – King of TikTok
- June 22, 2022:
Khaby officially becomes the most followed person on TikTok (160M+). - Beats Charli D’Amelio’s long-standing record.
- No PR team. No paid ads. Just organic global love.
💼 2022–2024 – Brand Deals & Big Life
- Signed with major agencies.
- Featured in Hugo Boss campaigns, walked the ramp in Milan Fashion Week.
- Appeared on the Cannes red carpet, collabed with Messi, Ronaldo, etc.
- Became an ambassador for Binance and other big names.
- Moved into a luxury apartment, helped support his family back in Senegal and Italy.
🌟 Final Thoughts – Why Khaby’s Rise Inspires Millions
- Came from nothing.
- Lost his job during a global crisis.
- Had no gear, no studio, no English fluency.
- Still became the most followed content creator in the world.
He turned a phone and a face into a global brand.
📣 Your Turn
Are you waiting to be perfect? Or are you ready to be real like Khaby?
📩 Submit your story to Chirp Stories today. We publish real people, real journeys.
🌍 Who knows — your scratch story might be the next one that inspires the world.