Under the influence: As TikTok scales up its Canadian business, group of influencers work to boost a modest domestic scene

VANCOUVER — Last December, some of TikTok’s biggest stars gave their followers a holiday present: Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Tony Lopez, Addison Rae and a host of others, with a collective TikTok following of hundreds of millions, descended on a Los Angeles mansion, which they’d rented for the long term as a crash pad and broadcast hub. The teens would spend their days collaborating and filming in their photogenic new digs, in or near the pool, and sharing the resulting explosion of content on their social media accounts. Some planned to live full time in the sprawling, Spanish-style home, which boasts living-room ceilings high enough to house a trampoline park. Others, including the ultra-famous D’Amelio sisters, would float between the L.A. mansion and their Connecticut home, presumably with a The Charli coffee (Dunkin’ named it after the younger sister and TikTok’s most followed person) in hand. The original group of 19 — some have since left — christened their enterprise the Hype House. They feature in each other’s videos and grow their fan bases, watching their star power and their bank-account balances rise simultaneously. Read More