As the Biden administration considers a ban onTikTok, the livelihoods of top creators who have made up to $10 million from viral videos hang in the balance.
These influencers, who have amassed millions of followers and substantial wealth, face the risk of losing their platforms and having to chart new career paths.
The top TikToker makes $750,000 per video, has a net worth of $15 million and an astonishing 162 million followers - but this could be all gone within the next 12 months.
That is because after years of pressure, a measure to outlaw the popular video-sharing app has finally won congressional approval and been signed into law by Biden.
The measure gives Beijing-based parent company ByteDance nine months to sell the company - and if not, TikTok will be banned in the US.
Here DailyMail.com reveals the the top 10 TikTokers who risk losing everything - including the surprising number one.
Khaby Lame, the top TikToker, makes a whopping $750,000 per video and has a net worth of $15 million with a whopping 162 million followers - but now, he may lose his flashy lifestyle within a year's time
1. Khaby Lame - 162M followers
You may not have ever heard his name, but Khaby Lame takes the number one spot on TikTok in 2024.
Lame - who came from humble beginnings - joined the platform in 2020 after being laid off from his factory job during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Since then, he has met celebrities, been invited to glitzy events and galas, and landed sponsorship deals with the likes of Hugo Boss.
The Senegal-born Italian content creator rose to prominence on TikTok with his humorous reactions and relatable content.
He currently earns up to $750,000 per TikTok postand banked a staggering total of $10 million in 2022.
With a net worth of $15 million, Lame's journey is one of rags to riches.
In addition to the financial benefits, brands have also offered Lame lavish gifts.
He now owns a luxury car collection that reportedly features a Jeep Compass, Mercedes G Class, BMW X5 and an Audi RS5.
Additionally, he reportedly owns a pad in Los Angeles, which apparently features a swimming pool and tennis court plus an apartment in Milan that he shares with his manager Alessandro Riggio.
Lame told Forbes that he started making TikTok videos after that, simply because he was bored while unemployed during quarantine.
'The pandemic had just started, and I was bored with a lot of time on my hands so I started making videos on TikTok,' he said.
He began making videos in which he would mock 'life-hack' videos made by other users, acting out simple ways to do what they made complicated, and topping it off with a wide eyed stare or a shrug.
Lame's signature touch is never saying a word in his videos.
'I came up with the idea because I was seeing these videos circulating, and I liked the idea of bringing some simplicity to it,' Lame said to CNN last year, 'I thought of a way to reach as many people as possible. And the best way was not to speak.'
#2 Charli D’Amelio - 154M followers
Charli D’Amelio lands in second place with 154 million followers. After joining the platform in 2019, she became the most followed user with her viral dance routines and by 2020, she had more than 100 million fans
D'Amelio's story couldn't be further from Lame's.
Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, she was raised by former model Heidi D'Amelio, and a businessman who once ran for the Connecticut Senate, Marc D'Amelio.
After joining the platform in 2019, Charli had become the most followed account with her viral dance routines and by 2020, she had more than 100 million fans.
At the time, she took to the platform to say that the achievement was 'like a dream.'
In a video, she added: 'I can't believe there's 100 million supporters following me right now. That is insane, oh my goodness.
D’Amelio, once the most-followed TikTok personality, captivated audiences with her dance videos and charismatic presence.
In 2020, D'Ameliobecame the first TikTok star to reach 100 million followers.
'Y'all can't grasp that this is real, I still feel like it's a dream, kind of waiting to wake up. Very insane. Oh my goodness, thank you!'
In the caption she wrote: ''A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED ME REACH 100 MILLION SUPPORTERS!!! AND ANOTHER HUGE THANK YOU TO @tiktok I LOVE EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!'
The social media platform congratulated her on the news and said it was 'so proud' of her achievements.
In a statement TikTok said: 'In less than 18 months, Charli has grown into one of the most recognized and beloved TikTok creators in the world.
'While we're extremely proud of Charli and all that she has accomplished since she shared her first TikTok video in May 2019.'
While no longer in the top spot, D’Amelio'sinfluence has expanded beyond TikTok, with collaborations, YouTube success and even appearances in commercials and music videos.
The 19-year-old social media star just made an appearance at the red carpet for the Revolve Festival: The Seventh Annual Fashion, Music and Lifestyle Event this month.
In June 2022, Lame reached 142.5 million followers overnight, creeping past D'Amelio's 142.2 million after a months-long tight follower battle.
#3 MrBeast - 94.6 M followers
Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson, a 25-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, has amassed nearly 100 million followers on TikTok, 232 million subscribers
Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson is among the rising stars on TikTok.
The 25-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, has amassed nearly 100 million followers on TikTok, 232 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 50 billion views since he started posting in 2012.
Known for his philanthropy and engaging content, MrBeast has seamlessly transitioned from YouTube to TikTok.
The 25-year-old became the most followed individual on YouTube in 2022 and with 240 million subscribers and counting at the start of 2024 he is only closely behind Indian record label and production company T-Series in the race for the top spot altogether.
By 2018 he was donating $100,000 worth of products to a homeless shelter, and He has since repeated the dose to an Uber driver, a waitress, and people in parking lots.
In one video, he dropped $20,000 out of a drone and gave a pizza man the house he was delivering to as a tip.
A 14-time winner of the internet's Streamy Awards, he has branched out into smartphone apps, video game tournaments, restaurants and his own food range, earning an estimated $500 million in the process.
In 2023, he claimed that he was one of those who was invited on the doomed Titan submersible journey.
'I was invited earlier this month to ride the titanic submarine, I said no,' he wrote on X. 'Kind of scary that I could have been on it.'
The Popular YouTuber has also earned reportedly more than $260,000 in revenue thanks to his first X (formerly Twitter) video he posted on January 15.
The YouTube star, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, confirmed he had made $263,655 in revenue one week after posting his first full X video on January 15.
He only posted full-videos on one of his six YouTube channels before this, which has earned him a $1.4 million ad revenue net earning.
Each video brings in 'a couple million' in revenue through YouTube adverts, plus a similar figure for adverts inserted into the video itself - for which the brand pays a hefty fee.
#4 Bella Poarch - 94.1M followers
Bella Poarch, 26, whose real name is Denarie Bautista Taylor, rapidly rose to fame when she started posting videos on TikTok after serving in the Navy
TikTok's 'most liked' influencer Bella Poarch,whose real name is Denarie Bautista Taylor, rapidly rose to fame when she started posting videos on TikTok after serving in the Navy.
The 26-year-old, who is originally from the Philippines but moved to the U.S. with her adoptive parents as a child, currently lives in Los Angeles.
She also live in Texas and Hawaii while serving in the navy.
Since leaving the Navy, Bella has shot to fame as a TikTok icon and now boasts more than 94.1 million followers.
Her biggest claim to fame is a lip-sync video to a catchy diss track now titled M to the B from British artist Millie B.
To date, it has been viewed more than 773.5 million times and set her on a path of internet stardom - garnering a staggering 2.3 billion likes across her content.
However, it was ultimately her fame that led to the end of her marriage, with Bella revealing that her former spouse struggled to get to grips with her soaring success.
She recently laid bare the trauma she faced after being raped by 'someone she knew' while serving in the navy at age 18.
The internet sensation fought back the tears as she discussed the incident with host Alex Cooper on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast.
She said that she had really wanted to move out of her childhood home due to a turbulent family dynamic but that 'the only way was to join the military.'
She explained that she grew up in an abusive household - and, after graduating from high school at the age of 16, she felt the only way for her to escape was to enlist.
Yet, during the podcast, she candidly revealed that the Navy had not been the safe haven she had hoped for.
Shortly before Bella left the military in 2020, her mental health took a turn for the worse, and she revealed that she tried to take her own life.
#5 Addison Rae - 88.8M followers
Addison Rae, 23, synonymous with TikTok fame, has diversified her ventures with acting, entrepreneurship, and brand collaborations
Addison Rae, synonymous with TikTok fame, has diversified her ventures with acting, entrepreneurship, and brand collaborations.
In August 2020, the social media sensation topped Forbes' list of TikTok's seven highest-earning stars after raking in a whopping $5 million in one year thanks to her new makeup line, sponsored content, and endorsem*nt deals, and, of course, her 54.2 million followers.
The 23-year-old was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and as the oldest of three children, she has always enjoyed the spotlight. She started dancing at the age of six and traveled across the country for competitions.
The high school cheerleader joined TikTok in July 2019, the summer after she graduated, and built up a following as she entered her freshman year at Louisiana State University, where she studied broadcast journalism.
Addison remembers the exact date she reached one million followers, telling Forbes it was October 27, 2019. By that point, people were starting to recognize her on campus thanks to her videos, which mostly show her dancing and lip-syncing.
'My name would be called out when I was walking to class, which was pretty mind-blowing,' she recounted.
A month later, she dropped out of school. Around the same time, she shared her first sponsored content post for the online retailer Fashion Nova. By December, she had moved to Los Angeles to turn her budding fame into a lucrative career.
She befriended other TikTokers and helped form Hype House, a content creator collective that calls an LA mansion of the same name home base.
As her star continued to rise, she scored branded merchandise and sponsored content deals. The two revenue streams count for two-thirds of her estimated earnings, Forbes reported.
She then signed with the WME talent agency, which also represents her parents, Sheri Easterling and Monty Lopez.
The agency is looking to get the star more 'modeling, fashion, music, dance, TV, film, digital, podcasting, touring, books, licensing and endorsem*nts,' according to The Hollywood Reporter, and the plan seems to be working.
Addison was named a global spokesperson for American Eagle last month and has been featured in the brand's digital and print campaigns as well as TV spots.
She has also launched a Spotify podcast with her mother, Sheri Nicole, called 'Mama Knows Best,' which focuses on their mother-daughter relationship.
She became friends with Kourtney Kardashian and debut a clean makeup brand, ITEM Beauty, which is a joint venture with the startup Madeby.
The influencer has been teasing on social media since mid-July and is set to release six products on August 11, including her $14 Lash Snack mascara.
#6 Zach King - 82M followers
Zach King, 34, from Portland, Oregon, used his talents for video editing to gain popularity first on the short-form video service Vine.
King, 34, from Portland, Oregon, used his talents for video editing to gain popularity first on the short-form video service Vine.
The filmmaker, who is known for his slight-of-hand tricks, moved his base over to TikTok and now has more than 32.7 million followers.
His videos often amass millions of likes apiece with commenters commending him on his editing skills.
But though the clips are short, they actually take a lot of work: King revealed that a single six-second video on Vine could take him around three to four hours to film, and then an additional 24 hours to edit.
So his current videos on TikTok, which are typically longer, probably take the filmmaker more time to create.
Her reportedly makes $44,225 per post with 82million followers and worth $3 million.
#7 Kimberly Loaiza - 81M followers
Kimberly Loaiza, a native of Mexico also started on YouTube before growing a 64 million following on TikTok
Loaiza, a native of Mexico also started on YouTube before growing a 64 million following on TikTok.
She now reportedly is worth $8 million, with 63.9 million followers and makes $47,374 per post.
#8 TikTok - 80.4M followers
TikTok itself made the list with 80 million followers. The account mainly shares videos with creators at their company events and interviews
TikTok itself made the list with 80 million followers. The account mainly shares videos with creators at their company events and interviews.
#9 Burak Özdemir - 75.1M followers
Burak Özdemir, a Turkish chef who is known for making 40 inch kebabs secured the top spot of an unofficial TikTok ‘rich list’ with an estimated net worth of $11m back in 2021
A Turkish chef who is known for making 40 inch kebabssecured the top spot of an unofficial TikTok ‘rich list’ with an estimated net worth of $11m back in 2021.
The prior club owner and restaurateur, rose to fame with his culinary skills - amassing awhopping 75 million followers.
He has collaborated with celebrities such as footballer Ronaldinho, actor Will Smith, and TikTok megastar Khaby Lame.
#10 The Rock - 74.5M followers
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is the most followed actor on TikTok, leading the path with nearly 75 million followers
Dwayne Johnson is the most followed actor on TikTok, leading the path with nearly 75 million followers.
After years of attempts to ban the Chinese-owned app, including by former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden last week signed legislation that could lead to a ban.
The measure gives ByteDance 270 days to divest TikTok's U.S. assets or face a ban.
TikTok has vowed to challenge the ban as a violation of the protections of free expression enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and TikTok users are expected to again take legal action.
With ByteDance given a timeline to divest from its US subsidiary, the fate of TikTok hangs in the balance, leaving creators and audiences uncertain about the future of their beloved platform.
President Joe Biden last week signed legislation giving ByteDance 270 days to divest TikTok's U.S. assets or face a ban
It would be at least a year before a ban goes into effect but the timeline could stretch longer, potentially year, with legal battles.
Top Republicans are now demanding that Biden's campaign cease its 'dangerous' use of TikTok after many lawmakers, top presidential advisors and security officials have warned of its national security threats.
Biden's re-election campaign joined TikTok in February and has posted countless videos about the president, often using social media trends and lingo to draw in support from younger voters who use the app.
Despite Biden signing the law passed by Congress requiring ByteDance - TikTok's Chinese parent company - to sell the app within a year or face a ban in the U.S. over privacy concerns, the president's campaign does not want to stop using the social media.
Biden's rival, Republican Donald Trump, who has criticized a potential ban and is the majority owner of the company that operates his social media app Truth Social, has not joined
'We would be silly to write off any place where people are getting information about the president,' the Biden campaign's deputy manager Rob Flaherty has said of their use of the app.
Now, Republicans are responding to the campaign, calling its decision to remain on TikTok concerning and hypocritical.
Still, the president's campaign does not want to stop using the social media.
'We would be silly to write off any place where people are getting information about the president,' the Biden campaign's deputy manager Rob Flaherty has said of their use of the app.
Now, Republicans are responding to the campaign, calling its decision to remain on TikTok concerning and hypocritical.
New data found that 58 percent of Americans agree that the Chinese government uses social media app TikTok to 'influence American public opinion.' Pictured: Chinese PresidentXi Jinping
New data also found that the majority of Americans are convinced that the Chinese government is using TikTok to manipulate the U.S. public opinion as politicians press to ban the app.
The data found that 58 percent of Americans agree that the Chinese government uses social media app TikTok to 'influence American public opinion.'
The results came from a two-day Reuters/IPSOS poll conducted on Tuesday that asked 1,022 U.S. adults nationwide for their opinion.
In the other hand, 13 percent of Americans disagreed with the statement - and did not think that the app, which is owned by China's ByteDance, is being used to control public opinion.
Republicans were more likely than Democrats to see China as using the app to exploit Americans and their beliefs.
