OnlyFans, conceived by British entrepreneur Tim Stokely in 2016, originally began as a platform designed for fashion influencers to engage with their followers and offer exclusive content for a fee. Nevertheless, it swiftly shifted its focus towards adult content, becoming a favored platform for sex workers to directly sell their content to their audience by 2018.
In 2018, OnlyFans saw a significant change as Leonid Radvinsky, a prominent internet entrepreneur based in Florida, obtained a 75% ownership stake. Radvinsky's investment greatly fueled the platform's expansion, and by 2020, OnlyFans boasted a community of over 1.6 million creators and 82 million users.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 marked a pivotal moment for OnlyFans, as individuals sought fresh means of amusement while confined to their homes. By 2021, OnlyFans announced a staggering $4 billion in earnings for its content creators.
In the present day, OnlyFans stands as a widely embraced platform for a diverse range of creators, spanning musicians, artists, fitness instructors, chefs, and more. Nevertheless, it remains predominantly associated with adult content.
A timeline of noteworthy events in the history of OnlyFans:
OnlyFans has earned praise for providing creators with a direct means to monetize their content from their dedicated supporters. Nonetheless, it has also encountered criticism due to its lack of content moderation and its involvement in the dissemination of non-consensual sexual content.