The Japan Times - TikTok king Khaby Lame joins UNICEF as goodwill ambassador

The 24-year-old holds top spot on the TikTok app, with 162.8 million followers and has risen to fame for his short silent videos mocking the convoluted tutorials of tips that abound on the internet.

Lame's punctuates his videos with his trademark gesture -- palms turned towards the sky, accompanied by a knowing smile and wide eyes -- as he offers his own simple remedies.

"I am very proud to announce that Khaby Lame is joining the UNICEF family as a new goodwill ambassador", the regional director for the agency, Gilles Fagninou, said during a ceremony at a hotel in Dakar, at the end of Lame's four-day visit to the west African country.

"Khaby's authenticity and his engagement make him an extraordinary ambassador for the country", Fagninou said.

"From my own experience as a child fearing poverty, struggling to find my passion at school, and losing my job during the COVID-19 pandemic, to finding my place and calling in the world, I know that all children can thrive when they are given a chance and opportunity", Lame said in a statement on UNICEF's website.

Lame joins the ranks of other UNICEF goodwill ambassadors, including football superstars Lionel Messi and David Beckham and singer Katy Perry.

Lame's TikTok idea came to him while wandering around the housing project where his family lived in Chivasso, near Turin, after losing his factory mechanic's job in March 2020, on the cusp of the coronavirus pandemic.

His posts took off -- helping him gross an estimated $16.5 million through marketing deals with companies in the period between June 2022 and September 2023, according to Forbes.

T.Sato--JT