While TikToker Khaby Lame is now a globally-recognised face, having grown to fame on the platform with his hilariously dead-pan videos, things weren't always quite so fortunate for the star.
The 21-year old, whose full name is Khabane Lame, turned to TikTok after being thrown into unemployment during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
Using the app's duet and stitch features, Lame was able to mock modern 'life hack' trends by responding to various tricks and tips online - humorously showing there is often a much easier and simpler solution, which is usually the most obvious.
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Speaking to the New York Times, he explained: "It's my face and my expressions which make people laugh."
His muted reactions, he said, are a 'global language'.
According to the outlet, Lame - who is originally from Senegal - had been a young factory worker in the northern Italian industrial town of Chivasso when he lost his job in March 2020.
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The New York Times says he returned to his family's 'modest apartment', and - despite his father begging him to apply for another job - began spending hours each day on TikTok.
The rest, as they say, is history, with Lame now sitting pretty on 99.9 million followers and a staggering 1.5 billion likes.
With such a huge following, it is estimated that the social media star is now worth millions, with Celebs Life Reel reporting earlier this year that he is worth between $1-$2 million (£722,165-£1,444,390) - although this figure may be even higher now, given that his follower count has continued to climb.
The site looked at 15 of Khaby's post, saying the average engagement rate of followers on each was 0.10 percent. This, it said, meant the estimate of the amount he earned from TikTok sponsorship at the time was between $13,380 (£9,636) and $22,300 (£16,061).
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This, however, was based on a point in Lame's career when he had just 22 million followers - a fraction of what he has now.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, once your followers hit the thousands, you can start to think about monetising your TikTok content, just as you can with Instagram and YouTube.
"Companies have been known to pay $200 to $20,000 per branded video promoted by influencers, depending on the individual's level of influence," the website explained.
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@khaby.lameTopics: Entertainment, Celebrity, TikTok