Would you clone yourself for $975 million? Khaby Lame just did. Kinda.
Khaby Lame became world-famous without saying a single word, using nothing but iconic gestures and dry irony. Now, a $975-million AI deal could see a digital version of him doing the reacting instead.
Khaby Lame Goes AI
The world’s biggest TikToker has just sold the commercial rights to his brand through his company, Step Distinctive Limited, in a deal worth roughly $975 million with Rich Sparkle Holdings. The cooperation focuses on building a fully fledged commercial system around Khaby Lame, supported by a multi-year strategy.
The plan is to move away from one-off sponsorships and instead establish an integrated network spanning commerce, logistics, content production, and AI. According to the company, this ecosystem is expected to generate annual revenues of up to $4 billion.
The most interesting part of the deal, however, is its AI component. The agreement includes the rights to create a digital AI clone of Khaby Lame, approved to generate content in multiple languages across different time zones. Rich Sparkle argues that this tool allows Lame to break free from the limits of his own schedule and turn his presence into a scalable, multi-use digital asset.
The deal will run for the next three years and also covers the commercial use of the AI twin, livestream and video commerce planning, as well as TikTok Shop operations.
A Strategic Move With Open Questions
This deal makes strategic sense in more than one way. First, it removes one of the biggest limitations that come with being a content creator: time. An AI model of Khaby Lame is no longer tied to his personal availability and can operate 24/7. This is a huge advantage for a creator whose biggest asset is presence.
On top of that, Khaby Lame himself is a perfect fit for a deal like this. His signature style relies on communication and comedy through gestures rather than words. That alone makes him especially suitable for an AI system designed to work across different languages and cultures (as long as AI finally gets its generated hands right).
Still, the deal has raised eyebrows across the industry. Even though the TikToker remains involved in the process, it inevitably brings up questions of control and authenticity. An AI clone hosting livestreams or promoting products makes it harder to separate the private individual from the multi-million-dollar operations behind the scenes. With one of the most-subscribed Twitch channels already being run by an AI, this may not be an exception but just the beginning.
What do you think about this deal? Let us know in the comments!
