Selling sex: why investors are wary of OnlyFans despite record profits

The platform that revolutionised pornography is for sale – but its value is limited unless it can diversify

OnlyFans
OnlyFans was founded in 2016 and grew rapidly during the early pandemic, with roughly 20% growth per year since 2020
(Image credit: Loic Venance / AFP via Getty Images)

OnlyFans, the social media site where "creators" post mostly sexual content for paying subscribers, is quietly up for sale for a reported price of $8 billion (£5.9 billion).

But it could be worth much more, said the Financial Times, if it could shift from being "not safe for work entertainment" – a.k.a. porn – to being "less edgy". Its business model, which takes a 20% fee from video makers, is versatile and scalable, much like others that trade in user-generated content, such as Reddit and Roblox.

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