OnlyFans owner Fenix International is in talks to sell the porn-driven creator platform for $8bn, according to reports.
Founded in 2016, London-based adult subscription platform OnlyFans rapidly accrued more than 300m users worldwide, with some of the platform’s most successful creators earning millions of dollars every year.
Originally launched as a platform for artists and influencers, OnlyFans lifted its ban on explicit sexual material in 2017, shortly before VC and pornographer Leonid Radvinsky, founder of adult webcam site MyFreeCams, acquired a controlling share via his company Fenix International.
Now Reuters reports Fenix is in discussions to sell OnlyFans to a group of investors led by Forest Road Company, an investment firm based in Los Angeles, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
Talks are said to have been ongoing since March, with those involved reportedly considering taking the company public, the three sources tell Reuters.
Since exploding in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, OnlyFans has become a leading player in the global adult entertainment industry and synonymous with the murkier aspects of the online creator economy, with critics claiming the company does not do enough to protect both users and creators.
Earlier this year, an investigation from UK media regulator Ofcom into whether the company had done enough to stop under-18s using its platform was dropped, following months of scrutiny.
Sifted approached OnlyFans and Fenix for comment.
