OnlyFans

OnlyFans is a content subscription service based in London, United Kingdom.[3] Content creators can earn money from users who subscribe to their content—the "fans".[4] It is popular with sex workers[5] but also hosts content creators from other genres such as physical fitness experts, musicians and other creators who post regularly online.[6] It allows content creators to receive funding directly from their fans on a monthly basis as well as one-time tips and the pay-per-view (PPV) feature.[7]

OnlyFans
Available inEnglish
FoundedSeptember 2016 (2016-09)
Headquarters
London
,
England
Country of originUnited Kingdom
OwnerFenix International Limited
Founder(s)
  • Tim Stokely
CEO
URLwww.onlyfans.com
Current statusActive

Business model

A fan of a content creator can view their content for a monthly subscription fee.[8] The company pays 80% of the fees collected to the content creator, retaining the remaining 20%.[9] After merchant and processing fees, the company's share is around 12%.

History

OnlyFans was launched in 2016[10] as a platform for performers to provide clips and photos to followers for a monthly subscription fee. Little is known about the parent company, Fenix International Ltd.[5] Two years later, Leonid Radvinsky, owner of MyFreeCams, acquired 75% ownership of Fenix and became its director.[11][12] In 2019, OnlyFans introduced an extra safeguard into the account verification process so that a creator now has to provide a selfie headshot with their ID in the image in order to prove that the ID provided belongs to the account holder.[13] As of April 2020, OnlyFans was valued at between $810,000,000 and $936,000,000, though estimates are difficult to ascertain as the company does not release its aggregate level data.[14] The site has over 24 million registered users and claims to have paid out US$725 million to its 450,000 content creators.[15] CEO Tim Stokely claimed OnlyFans receives "about 200,000 new users every 24 hours and 7,000 to 8,000 new creators joining every day."[16]

OnlyFans has a partnership with Demon Time social media show to create a monetized virtual night club using the site's dual-screen live feature.[17]

In January 2020, 20-year-old American Kaylen Ward raised more than US$1 million in contributions to charity during the wild bushfires in Australia. OnlyFans teamed with her for their first partnership for a charitable cause.[18] This started a trend with some OnlyFans creators who have been raising money through their accounts.[19]

Controversy

A BBC Three documentary alleged that a third of Twitter profiles globally advertising 'nudes4sale' (or similar) belong to underage individuals, many of whom used OnlyFans to share their content.[20][13]

Bella Thorne earned $1 million in a day, sparking controversy

In July 2020, Sky News reported that OnlyFans had not paid value-added tax the previous three years, and could face heavy penalties from tax authorities.[21]

In August 2020, Forensic News reported that the company is facing multiple allegations of fraud and theft after content creators and users said they had money stolen from their accounts.[22]

Following the platform's rapid growth, many scam videos appeared on sites like YouTube, promising "free" content and purporting to show viewers how to hack creators' accounts. Several videos garnered over a million views before being removed from YouTube. None provided the alleged "premium" service but rather aimed to increase traffic on apps unrelated to OnlyFans.[23] Around the same time, a massive supposed content leak occurred, though OnlyFans "found no evidence of any breach of our systems".[24]

Bella Thorne set a new OnlyFans record when she earned over $1 million within 24 hours of joining the platform in August 2020 and more than $2 million in less than a week.[25] Her activities on OnlyFans sparked controversy after she allegedly promised nude photos for $200 but instead provided lingerie-clad photographs, leading to a slew of chargebacks. Following the debacle, new restrictions were introduced that limited the amount that other creators on the platform could charge and how quickly they could get paid,[26][27] though OnlyFans stated the restrictions were unrelated to Thorne but rather part of "an evolving process".[28] Thorne's actions caused backlash among sex workers who felt Thorne had selfishly appropriated their profession.[29][30]

Usage

Pornography is allowed. In fact, the website is mainly used by pornographic models,[5][31] both amateur and professional, but it also has a market with chefs, fitness enthusiasts, and musicians.[32] Users must be 18 years old to register, regardless of the content consumed.

See also

References
  1. Pocket-lint (29 August 2020). "What is OnlyFans, who uses it, and how does it work?". Pocket-lint. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. Ankel, Sophia. "Bella Thorne apologizes to OnlyFans creators after she banks $2 million in a week from erotic site". Insider. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  3. "FENIX INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - company report". Dun & Bradstreet.
  4. Arceneaux, Michael (2020). I Don't Want to Die Poor: Essays. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-9821-2930-9. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  5. Bernstein, Jacob (9 February 2019). "How OnlyFans Changed Sex Work Forever". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  6. "Former Chef Becomes Millionaire By Sharing Fitness Photos On Instagram". LAD Bible. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  7. Jankowicz, Mia. "We spoke to a woman earning more than $100,000 a year selling explicit content on OnlyFans — this is exactly how she makes her money". Business Insider. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  8. "How to Make Money on OnlyFans: The Complete Guide". HomeGrown Income. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  9. "Help & Support -Earnings". OnlyFans. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  10. Ryan, Paul (2019). Male Sex Work in the Digital Age: Curated Lives. Springer. ISBN 978-3-030-11797-9. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  11. "FENIX INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - Filing history (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  12. Bernstein, Jacob (9 February 2019). "How OnlyFans Changed Sex Work Forever". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  13. de Gallier, Thea (7 April 2020). "I make over £20k a month selling nudes online". BBC Three. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  14. Thomas Hollands (24 April 2020). "The Economics of OnlyFans". XSRUS. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  15. "English: OnlyFans brand deck". 8 November 2019.
  16. "Everyone Is Making Porn At Home Now. Will The Porn Industry Survive?". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  17. "Demon Time and OnlyFans Launch New Virtual Night Club". Complex. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  18. "Nude photos raised over $1 million for the Australia fires". VOX. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  19. "Donate $10 to Australia, Get a Nude Photo". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  20. Morgan, Jessica. "This Documentary Reveals The Dark Side Of OnlyFans". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  21. "OnlyFans could be hit with bill for more than three years' worth of unpaid taxes". Sky News. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  22. "OnlyFans Faces Allegations of Fraud, Theft". Forensic News.
  23. Samantha Cole (28 May 2020). "YouTube Is Full Of Scams Promising Free OnlyFans Content". Vice News. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  24. Samantha Cole (27 February 2020). "An OnlyFans Leak Isn't Anything New". Vice News. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  25. Spangler, Todd (26 August 2020). "Bella Thorne Breaks OnlyFans Record, Earning Over $1 Million in First 24 Hours". Variety. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  26. Donaldson, Kaleigh. "Bella Thorne OnlyFans Controversy Explained". Screen Rant. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  27. A Thorne in the site: the Bella Thorne and OnlyFans controversy explained The Guardian, 2020
  28. Carman, Ashley (1 September 2020). "OnlyFans confirms new caps on tips and pay-per-view content, but says the changes are unrelated to Bella Thorne". The Verge. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  29. "Sex Workers Are Furious About Bella Thorne's Self-Serving OnlyFans 'Tourism'". Jezebel. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  30. Russon, Mary-Ann (1 September 2020). "OnlyFans is ripping me off by capping prices". BBC News. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  31. "OnlyFans is the site where porn is more intimate than ever". Dazed. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  32. "Porn app OnlyFans and platform JustFor.Fans stars share personal stories, paid sexual content creation, and the online adult entertainment marketplace". Esquire SG. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
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