Alexandra Sternlicht/ Forbes | Charli earned $17.5 million in branding and endorsement deals and Dixie made $10 million

Who Are The D’Amelios And Why Are They Famous?

FameSeptember 14, 2022

Alexandra Sternlicht/ Forbes | Charli earned $17.5 million in branding and endorsement deals and Dixie made $10 million

Charli D’Amelio is probably already known to you if you are familiar with TikTok. The 17-year-old has replaced Justin Bieber as the most popular kid on the internet, with more than 125 million TikTok followers and the top “Most Popular” position on the influencer directory Famous Birthdays.

The D’Amelio corporate empire has taken off since 2021. The D’Amelios have transitioned from brand endorsers to business owners thanks to investments in organizations like Step and Halo and a clothing line with Hollister. Additionally, their expanding media business has benefited from content arrangements for podcasts, a Hulu documentary series, and even an animated spin-off based on its plush animals.

Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images | The D’Amelio sisters were once obscure teens from suburban Connecticut

The D’Amelios’ company is expanding, and a team of employees is keeping it afloat. Greg Goodfried, the family’s agent, quit prestigious talent agency UTA to take on the role of full-time president of their business last year as they transitioned from being a little celebrity to a multimillion-dollar business. They also employ a social media manager and an assistant.

D’Amelio not only choreographed and performed viral dances, most notably the one to the song “Renegade,” but was also one of the first TikTokers to appear in a Super Bowl commercial. D’Amelio also co-founded a clothing line with Hollister and starred in the Hulu docuseries “The D’Amelio Show.” Here is how the adolescent’s family achieved popularity.

D’Amelio Brands

Shayanne Gal/ Insider | The sisters are launching an eponymous brand to cash in on their digital fame

The sisters are involved in product development, design, and marketing for D’Amelio Brands, which will launch with a women’s footwear line and a skincare brand before the end of 2021. The majority of the sales will be made directly to consumers, although management is also considering retail alliances. The new business, which has already incorporated the family’s current fan merchandise stores, will be overseen by their father Marc D’Amelio. Additionally, he is considering expanding his business into the fashion, consumer packaged goods, and food industries.

According to D’Amelio, the idea is to take the family’s brand deal which frequently doesn’t include equity and internalize the process. The creator economy has recently given rise to various enterprises as influencers look for ways to monetize their followings beyond typical paid posts and endorsements.

Becoming TikTok’s biggest stars

On March 30, 2019, Charli D’Amelio uploaded her debut TikTok video, which showed her and a friend lip-syncing to a joke in a clip that was shot horizontally. Horizontal videos weren’t common at the time, which D’Amelio would later acknowledge.

STEVEN FERDMAN/ AFP/ Getty Images | In 2019, the D’Amelio sisters became overnight TikTok sensations by posting low-production, self-shot dance and lip sync videos from their messy bedrooms

In July of 2019, D’Amelio decided to shoot a fast video with “Move With Joy,” a user known for creating straightforward dance tutorials and videos while she was making her way to dance class. Before going to dance class, she posted the video using TikTok’s duet option without paying much attention.

While in class, she noticed that her phone was going off like crazy due to all the TikTok notifications that she was receiving, and she grew n additional 2,000 followers within hours. Charli D’Amelio was unsure of what to do or how to feel when she learned that her video had gone viral. She was catapulted into the limelight before she realized what was going on. For weeks, the number of followers continued to rise quickly.

Fortunately, D’Amelio’s mother was a former model and was aware of her daughter’s needs moving forward. They would require an agency, a manager, and a publicist. Charli made sure to invite her older sister along as her fame grew quickly. The “CEOs of TikTok” and the “Queens of TikTok,” respectively, were Charli and Dixie D’Amelio. Rising TikTok stars discovered that teaming up increased views. The Hype House was founded as a result of this ideology.