In just two years, Elsa Majimbo has gained 2.5 million Instagram followers by eating potato chips in bed, encouraging her followers to party to the point of reporting fraudulent activity to their banks and laughing maniacally. And, thanks to these antics, the 20-year-old has become a superstar—landing a Teen Vogue cover, a Maison Valentino campaign, a documentary and a new home in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.
“Growing up, I always knew I would be iconic,” Majimbo said at the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit Africa in Gaborone, Botswana. “I didn’t know how I would do it, but I knew it would be done.”
Majimbo’s story is one of real rags to WME-representation riches. She grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, and became the first member of her family to attend college, studying journalism at the city’s Strathmore University. But when Covid-19 hit, Majimbo was forced to isolate and engage in remote learning. She coped by posting a video about how she absolutely did not miss human contact, and quickly started gaining social media fame.
“When I went viral, the first thing I did was send an email and quit,” Majimbo says about dropping out of college. “It was absolutely delusional, but I believed I could succeed. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to be a superstar.’”
It clearly resonated, as others–including celebrities like Lupita Nyong’o, Steve Harvey and Rihanna–started obsessing over her videos about finding a boyfriend from her pillow, watching TV for 12 hours a day and comedic narcissism. With this newfound fame, Majimbo relocated to Los Angeles in 2021 to pursue a career of comedic greatness, complete with endorsement deals like the ones she has with Fenty and Logitech. This is likely why Majimbo called herself a millionaire during her conversation at the Under 30 Summit Monday with CNBC Africa anchor Tania Habimana. (A representative for the entertainer clarified that she is “worth millions,” but labeled herself a millionaire only for comedic purposes.)
Her advice to young entrepreneurs? “Enjoy your life. It’s never that deep–people try to discourage you, but you can do whatever you want.”
This Article Was Culled From Forbes.
