OnlyFans has paid creators $32.4 billion since 2016, CEO says
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OnlyFans makes money by taking a 20 per cent fee on any subscriptions or content.
PHOTO: AFP
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OnlyFans chief executive Keily Blair said that the company has paid out US$25 billion (S$32.4 billion) to creators since it was founded in 2016.
“There’s not very many companies that can talk about creating wealth for others rather than just profiteering,” she said at Bloomberg Tech in London on Oct 21.
The London-based company allows content creators to offer subscription material directly to their fans.
While much of the content is pornographic, the site also hosts creators focused on other topics such as fitness and food.
OnlyFans makes money by taking a 20 per cent fee on any subscriptions or content including videos, pictures and chats sold via the platform.
It skyrocketed in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many sex workers and celebrities were looking for ways to make money during lockdowns.
Ms Blair told Bloomberg TV’s Caroline Hyde that the company was not just adult content, “but it’s content for adults,” spanning other types of material including comedy, sports and cooking.
She was joined on stage by athlete Tymal Mills, who in August became the first big-name cricketer to partner with OnlyFans.
He said that many athletes on the platform come from sports that don’t pay very well and are “finding other ways to pay the bills.”
OnlyFans has been exploring a number of sale offers this year, with Bloomberg previously reporting a sale at a US$8 billion valuation
But it’s a tricky acquisition target, facing long-running concerns about online safety and the explicit nature of some of its content.
OnlyFans has tapped trainers, comedians and singers to expand its offering and draw in new users.
But sex still sells.
Publicity-shy owner Leonid Radvinsky received a record US$497 million in dividends in 2024 and another US$204 million through April this year, according to corporate filings published in August.
Ms Blair declined to comment on a potential sale, saying only that “the next five years is going to be an interesting time for all of us.” BLOOMBERG
