Khaby Lame is a Dakar Youth Olympics ambassador, and the $975M deal headline needs context

Khaby Lame is one of the official ambassadors of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which run Oct 31 to Nov 13. He was officially appointed on Mar 26 in Dakar, according to a press release carried by Zawya, putting him alongside Omar Sy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Eva Neymar.

It is billed as the first Olympic event in Africa. With the Games less than two weeks out, here is where he stands, including the money headline that keeps getting passed around.

The ambassador job

“This commitment reflects my desire to support young African talent, both in sport and beyond.”— Khaby Lame, in the Dakar 2026 announcement, Mar 26

He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. UNICEF’s profile lists him as a Goodwill Ambassador “since 2025.” It is an established role, not a new appointment.

The $975 million number

Forbes Africa reported in January that Rich Sparkle Holdings, a Hong Kong-based company listed on Nasdaq, told the SEC on Jan 9 it was acquiring Lame’s company Step Distinctive Limited in a $975 million all-stock deal. Lame owned 49% of Step Distinctive. In other words: shares, not cash.

Rich Sparkle’s stock jumped more than 650%, and Forbes put his stake’s paper value at $6.6 billion at the Jan 15 peak. But the stock crashed within days, dropping as low as $41, 77% below that peak, and Forbes noted the company’s tiny public float (under 5%) and quoted a securities lawyer who called the swings “a red flag.” Forbes said it would not value Lame at the stock price, so “he’s nowhere close to being a billionaire.” Celebrity Net Worth, via Yahoo, later reported the stock fell more than 90%. Yahoo’s conclusion: the $975M should not automatically count toward his net worth, and the $80 million estimate is the more grounded figure.

On earnings, Yahoo cites Forbes’ estimate of $20 million for 2025 and lists brand partners including Hugo Boss, Airbnb and Binance. It says there is no reliable public evidence that TikTok itself pays him $20 million a year. He has more than 160 million TikTok followers, per the same piece.

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