They kicked him out of the factory in 2020. Today, this tiktoker sells his company and an AI that replaces him for 900 million

Khaby Lame, the tiktoker with the most followers in the world (160 million), has sold his company Step Distinctive Limited to Rich Sparkle Holdings for between $900 and $975 million. The operation was closed in January with shares, without cash, and represents one of the largest transactions in the new creator economy. Who is it. He Italian of Senegalese origin25, rose to fame after being laid off from his job as a machinery operator in the pandemic. He began to publish silent videos, favored for their comical expressiveness, where he dismantled one of the fashions then in vogue on the Internet: life hacks that he knew how to detect as ridiculously complicatedand whose artificiality he exposed with a gthis distinctive that became his trademarkand that helped him propose obvious solutions to problems that, in reality, did not exist. On June 22, 2022, she surpassed Charli D’Amelio as the most followed person on the platform. What does the deal include? Dubai-based Step Distinctive Limited handled licensing, partnerships and sales. Lame becomes a shareholder of Rich Sparkle Holdings but loses operational control. A key fact: according to Celebrity Net WorthLame only had 49% of his company. 51% belonged to partners such as the Chinese Anhui Xiaoheiyang Network Technology, of the Three Sheep conglomerate. Lame’s case is not isolated. Mergers and acquisitions in the creator economy grew by 73% in 2025, reaching 52 operations. The sector, valued at more than 200 billion in 2024could exceed one billion before 2033. Other notable cases: MrBeast’s Beast Industries was valued at 5 billion and earned 473 million in 2024. Logan Paul earned 1.2 billion with Prime in 2023, valued between 2,000 and 3,000 million. The formula pursued is obvious: convert your followers into buyers. Digital twins. The most striking thing about the agreement is the transfer of the digital twin made by Lame’s AI. This technology creates digital replicas capable of speaking different languages ​​without recording new content. In China, platforms like Douyin employ AI-generated streamers who sell 24 hours a day, reducing costs by 80%. This technology allows a person to “work” simultaneously in multiple markets without a break. Who buys? Prior to the deal, Rich Sparkle was a financial printing company with no history in social media or AI, and the deal raises questions about the financial effectiveness of these types of deals. Now, for three years, Rich Sparkle has exclusivity over Lame’s business operations but despite his fame, is it a good move? Creators build value with their identity, but when they are controlled by outside corporations they risk losing what made them unique. The creator economy is no longer marginal: it has become a sector that operates with the same amounts as traditional industries. What started in March 2020 with an unemployed worker posting videos has ended five years later in a nearly billion transaction involving AI and Chinese conglomerates. But… is such a purchase capable of maintaining the spontaneity and freshness that characterized Lame? In Xataka | TikTok has dodged the bullet of the US veto. Although it has not been free

Apple Creator Studio is not just a subscription. It’s Apple looking to conquer the little tiktoker who uses CapCut and Canva

Just a few days ago, Apple announced the launch of a new service: Apple Creator Studio. Roughly speaking, The apple firm has updated its suite of creative tools to bring them to a more specific audience who, instead of a single payment per tool, may be more interested in an affordable subscription that allows access to all of them. Looking at it with perspective, and without losing sight of the fact that it is another recurring expense to add to the current account, perhaps it makes a lot of sense for a very particular profile: the small creator. What’s included in Apple Creator Studio. To give a quick summary, the subscription costs 12.99 euros per month (129 euros if you pay annually or 2.99 if you are a student) and allows access to the entire suite of Apple creativity apps. We are talking, of course, about Final Cut, Logic Pro, Pixelmator ProMotion, Compressor and MainStage. Additionally, some generative AI features and exclusive content are included in Freeform, Keynote, Pages and Numbers. Pixelmator Pro | Image: Apple Some quick accounts. Thinking only about the Mac versions, the cost of all the creativity apps would amount to 794.94 euros. One-time payment, yes, but close to 800 euros. Apple Creator Studio costs 12.99 euros. It would take 61 monthly payments, that is, five years, to reach the total amount of the single payment. And who is this for? Although for a professional user 800 euros may not be such a high figure, for the small creator looking to use professional tools on their Mac, 12.99 euros per month may sound more attractive than 800 euros in one fell swoop. Not to mention that the subscription includes access on all platforms, namely Mac, iPad and iPhone, whenever possible. And Apple is clear that this subscription is not for Pixar, but for the small creator who has and manages himself a TikTok account, a YouTube channel, an Instagram profile and a podcast. For those who, right now, pay for CapCut, Photoshop, Premiere or Canva. Apple wants to tempt you with a more affordable, all-inclusive subscription and integration. Pixelmator Pro | Image: Apple Why now? From Xataka we have had the opportunity to speak with Bryan O’Neil Hughes (Global Director of App Product Marketing at Apple) and John Danty (Senior Global App Product Marketing Manager at Apple). Brian explains to us that this service responds to the “change in the nature of creators.” According to the executive, creators “no longer do just one thing; they need to manage multiple creative workflows and we want to serve them with these evolved apps.” According to Brian, “today’s creators are multidisciplinary: a musician not only writes songs, he also produces, designs his art, edits videos and creates promotional material.” Final Cut Pro | Image: Apple That explains the two options.. However, one thing is worth asking. If Apple is betting so heavily on services, being an almost more important source of income than the iPhonewhy keep the single payment? Danty explains to us that they want to “preserve our relationship with the professional community. Those who already have versions of Final Cut or Logic Pro will continue to receive updates and features such as beat detection.” This makes sense from a practical point of view. The video editor that only edits video will not take advantage of an app like Logic Pro or Pixelmator Pro, in the same way that an illustrator will not take advantage of Logic Pro or MainStage. The single payment is, in that case, more attractive. But to the tiktoker, instagramer, youtuber or budding singer who does everything himself, having access to all the tools doesn’t sound bad. In Brian’s words, “There is an explosion of content, driven in large part by the iPhone. More video is being captured, edited and shared than ever before and our apps are there to participate in that user journey.” Chord ID in Logic Pro | Image: Apple The topic of AI. John Danty explains to us that Apple’s philosophy is to “amplify, not replace human dexterity.” Features like Montage Maker and Chord ID They automate tasks that previously required learning technical skills, but now AI has a role in that creative flow that, in some way, could prevent the user from learning on their own. Brian and John understand it differently. For example, Montage Maker allows you to put together a quick video with the best moments of all the b-roll. For Bryan, “it helps those who have a lot of material and want to move quickly, but the editing and final polishing still depends on the user.” chord ID uses AI to pull chords from any recording and turn it into a progression, so “it helps you understand what you’re playing, which becomes a learning tool,” according to Danty. A matter of preferences. Be that as it may, there are three undeniable realities in this new release. The first, that Apple is going to start charging for applied AI functions. The second, that Canva, CapCut and Adobe have come up with a new-rather-renewed rival. The third, which even though it has an attractive price, is one more subscription that is added to the ones we already have and to generalized satiety with this monetization. How it will gel and evolve is something we will see over time. Images | Apple In Xataka | The incredible stock market performance of Big Tech, in a graph: the magnificent seven are now the unleashed seven

The most fascinating adventure program is a Spanish Tiktoker who is traveling to Japan with a 1998 Fiat

Fabio Bell is a influencer That, under the nick Volatadipuca It has been specialized in publishing videos about cars and trips on their social networks. He has made routes through countries such as New Zealand or India, as well as by Route 66 North American, and on his channel combines from cars reviews to interviews with vehicle owners of very diverse characteristics. His last idea, however, is the one that is attracting more attention: to travel from Spain to Japan in a Fiat Marea of ​​98. Planazo. Camperize the car To make life in him, advance everything that can be (on day 1, from Barcelona to Monaco, for example), three months planned at the wheel to travel 14,500 kilometers. At the moment it has been (almost for Serbia) and every day a video summary is uploading that in some cases almost four million visualizations. The inaugural video of the trip, the most viral, reached almost 10 million visualizations. In it, he told his more than 411,000 followers how he withdrew the seats on the right side to install a bed, installed a baca and supplied 20 liters of diesel and a spare wheel. 11 tricks to dominate Tik tok I tell you my trip. For some years, travel Tiktokers have become one of the most famous content on social networks. From adventure to more urban environments, there are more specialized ones (@Racherrosargentinos They only make natural scenarios from South America) and more spectacular (@Jacktravelworld Use drones and film plans, which has won more than 400,000 followers), going through those who have a more practical and earthly approach (@Alanxelmundo It focuses on recommendations and advice for those who want to make their own trips). @volatadipuca I think we all wanted a second season with the tide. This time, a little more beast than the previous one. In total there will be 22 countries, 12 currencies and 25,000km, for 3 months. Good luck to all #Nippon #Coches #trips ♬ Original Sound – Fabio Belnome The travel tiktoks phenomenon. Tiktok has become one of the key media to show trips: the hashtag #tikToktravel, for example, has More than 23,000 million viewsbecause the creators who make content for this niche take, often, extreme views: trips linked to adventure, others very strict in the sustainable and ecological aspect (often out of reach of the average user) or, quite the opposite, luxury destinations and unique experiences. Travel Tiktoks offer the type of experiences that the common of mortals will not do, and in that section is, of course, go to Japan in a car. Out risks. Travel Tiktoks consumer can enjoy trips without assuming the risks of the most adventurous creators, such as Alpinisya @Nimsdaithe urban explorer @Shieyfreedom or the traveler to high -risk countries @drew_binsky. Recall that many of these Tiktokers, like @RemnigmaWang Yongning or Sofia Cheung died while recording extreme challenges and trips. However, we can share their emotions to the limit without any risk, which explains Gherem’s success as Belnome. That, but by car. What does Belnome do what distinguishes it from other travel Tiktokers? Without a doubt, the idea of ​​remodeling an old car and using it as a literal engine of its journey. In each video he remembers that it cost him 900 euros in Wallapop, and dedicated several deliveries to comment on how he was repairing and preparing for the trip, in addition to going through the corresponding reviews and ITVs. In addition, it gives a unique suspense touch to the trip: in the first video the engine is heated excessively, and in the second it is already removing the temperature sensor so that the fan works continuously. Each new installment is a “Will it stay lying today?” That they do not have the rest of the Tiktokers of their guild, which brings you closer to adventure Tiktokers than those of travel. The attractiveness of the car that nobody wants. However, we are not talking about a classic car or a car Vintageone of those models that, repaired, fascinate for their design or their benefits. We talked about a Fiat Marea, a car that the Italian brand began to manufacture in 1995 and that, in effect, is not especially attractive or sophisticated. Belnome’s message seems to be rather “I travel to Japan uploaded in the first thing that Pillo”, and given how the engine is heated, the vehicle seems a challenge rather than a real aid. Something that, without a doubt, Belnome also uses so that the risk plays in his favor and in that of his channel. Header | @volatadipuca In Xataka | The videos of AI have broken the Instagram and Tiktok algorithms. Welcome to the new “AI landscape”

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.