New Creators: How OnlyFans Started—and Took Over

🧭 The Real Origin Story: How OnlyFans Actually Started (and Why It Blew Up)

If you’ve ever wondered “how OnlyFans started,” buckle up. The platform didn’t just pop out of thin air with million-dollar payouts and viral headlines. It started as a pretty simple idea in 2016: let creators charge fans directly for access to content and conversations. British father-and-son founders Guy and Tim Stokely built it to make fan subscriptions and pay-per-view messages dead easy. Direct-to-fan monetisation was the bet; creators kept more control; fans got a front-row seat. Simple as.

The plot twist came in 2018, when entrepreneur Leonid Radvinsky acquired a majority stake. From there, the platform got rocket fuel. OnlyFans scaled globally, and—yeah—adult creators were the early growth engine. But the bigger story is how the platform then broadened its tent, recruiting trainers, comedians, and singers to set up shop. That deliberate push to diversify content gave OnlyFans both stamina and mainstream pull. Fast-forward to 2025, and you’ve got athletes, reality stars, and career creators running serious subscription businesses—often out-earning brand deals or ad-split platforms.

Let’s add receipts. The business went from scrappy to staggering. The holding company Fenix International reported profit of about $485.5 million for the year ending November 30, 2023—a 20% jump year-over-year, according to filings cited in public reporting. In fiscal 2024, total revenue hit $7.2 billion—up 9%—a marker of how sticky the model is as other social platforms juggle algorithm drama and ad slowdowns [Variety, 2025-08-22].

And then there’s the money flowing upstream: in 2024, OnlyFans paid a record $701 million dividend to its owner, while hinting at a potential multibillion-dollar sale, reportedly around the $7 billion mark under discussion [Bloomberg, 2025-08-22]. Like it or not, the model works. That’s how OnlyFans started—and why it hasn’t stopped.

📊 Milestones That Mattered: From Launch to Big Leagues

What jumps out? Two things. First, the platform’s core engine—subscriptions + direct messages—didn’t change; the audience did. The more OnlyFans onboarded non-adult categories (trainers, comedians, singers), the more defensible the model became. Second, the money signals product-market fit: a $7.2B revenue year in 2024 and a record $701M dividend in the same window shows a machine that’s not just growing—it’s cash-flowing at scale [Variety, 2025-08-22] [Bloomberg, 2025-08-22].

Finally, mainstream adoption is real. You’ve got athletes like tennis pro Sachia Vickery openly defending her OnlyFans setup as a legit income stream—calling it the “easiest money” she’s made—proof the stigma is shifting and the model fits outside adult niches too [Yahoo Sports, 2025-08-22].

Bottom line: the origin was simple. The growth was smart. And the recent numbers? They scream sustainability, not hype.

😎 MaTitie SHOW TIME

G’day, I’m MaTitie — the bloke behind this piece and a shameless bargain hunter who loves a cheeky stream on a rainy arvo. I’ve tested more VPNs than I’d care to admit… mostly so you don’t have to, hey.

Here’s the deal in Australia: platforms come and go, and access can get patchy. One day TikTok’s sweet, the next your favourite creator’s content is geo-wobbly. If you’re a creator or a fan on OnlyFans, you want speed, privacy, and zero mucking about.

My go-to? NordVPN. It’s quick, it’s clean, and it just works with streaming and creator hubs without the laggy drama. If you’re over the guesswork, grab this:

👉 🔐 Try NordVPN here — 30-day risk-free, no stress.

If it’s not your vibe, refund it and carry on. No harm done. This keeps your browsing private and your access snappy. Too easy.

Affiliate heads-up: MaTitie earns a small commission if you buy via that link. Appreciate the support, legend.

🔎 From Niche to Normal: The Creator Playbook Behind the Rise

Let’s go deeper into how OnlyFans actually crossed over from “niche” to “normal” and why the origin story still matters in 2025.

• Direct monetisation was the wedge. In 2016, creators were at the mercy of ad splits and algorithm roulette. OnlyFans put recurring revenue and one-to-one messaging behind a paywall. That shifted the power dynamic—fans, not advertisers, bankroll content.

• Ownership change accelerated growth. The 2018 majority acquisition by Leonid Radvinsky wasn’t just a cap table tidy-up. It brought sharper execution, global scale, and a stronger payments/compliance backbone—table stakes for building a pay-to-access platform at size.

• Diversification de-riskt the brand. The founders’ initial model didn’t require adult content, and over time the company actively recruited trainers, comedians, and singers. That’s a clever hedge. If one content type faces headwinds, creator categories like fitness or comedy keep the flywheel spinning. It’s exactly the kind of move that makes those 2024 numbers—$7.2B revenue—feel more durable than a one-off spike [Variety, 2025-08-22].

• Mainstreaming via credible faces. When athletes like Sachia Vickery publicly embrace OnlyFans for “easy money” without batting an eyelid, you know the ice has cracked. It reframes the platform as a flexible subscription toolkit for anyone with an audience, not just one vertical [Yahoo Sports, 2025-08-22].

• Product-market fit equals cash. The profits and giant dividend aren’t just boardroom gossip; they’re creator-economy signals. A $701M dividend and chatter of a potential ~$7B sale means investors see predictable cash flows from subscriptions, tips, and PPV. It also indicates OnlyFans’ take rate, friction, chargeback management, and onboarding are operating at an industrial standard [Bloomberg, 2025-08-22].

What about AI? Social chatter shows some creators now lean on AI-assisted DMs or chat flows to scale conversations. If you’re a creator, approach that carefully: label automations, keep trust high, and focus AI on low-stakes admin over emotional fan chats. Fans pay for authenticity—don’t dilute the thing they came for.

And if you’re reading this in Australia, here’s the real talk:

• Don’t put all your eggs in one platform. Build an email list or SMS club.
• Use OnlyFans for conversion (DMs, PPV bundles), and socials for discovery.
• Keep content lanes clean: free teaser clips on TikTok/IG; premium, community-driven content on OnlyFans.
• Price smart. Start affordable, test bundled perks (monthly Q&As, custom drops), then nudge upward with added value—not just paywalling the same stuff.

How OnlyFans started is the blueprint. Why OnlyFans endured is the strategy.

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Who actually started OnlyFans and who owns it now?

💬 OnlyFans was launched in 2016 by British father-and-son duo Guy and Tim Stokely. In 2018, entrepreneur Leonid Radvinsky acquired a majority stake and today owns it via Fenix International. That’s when the growth really hit the afterburners.

🛠️ Is OnlyFans only for adult content, or did it diversify?

💬 Adult creators built the early hype, sure. But the platform actively recruited trainers, comedians, and singers to broaden its base. In 2025, athletes and mainstream influencers are on there too, using subs, tips, and PPV to monetise directly.

🧠 If OnlyFans sells, what does it mean for creators?

💬 Short-term: probably business as usual. The brand’s teasing a potential multibillion-dollar sale, but the core value prop—control, recurring revenue, fan DMs—won’t vanish overnight. Keep diversifying your audience off-platform just in case, mate.

🧩 Final Thoughts…

OnlyFans started with a simple, creator-first idea and scaled by sticking to its lane: paid access and one-to-one community. The 2018 ownership shift, strategic diversification, and a relentless focus on monetisation turned a scrappy startup into a subscription juggernaut—$7.2B revenue in 2024, plus that monster $701M dividend. Whether or not a sale lands, the model is now part of the creator economy’s backbone. If you create, use that origin story as a playbook: own your audience, price for value, and keep it human.

📚 Further Reading

Here are 3 recent articles that give more context to this topic — all selected from verified sources. Feel free to explore 👇

🔸 OnlyFans owner paid £522m in dividends
🗞️ Source: “This is Money” – 📅 2025-08-22
🔗 Read Article

🔸 OnlyFans owner Leonid Radvinsky paid $700 million in dividends ahead of sale
🗞️ Source: “The Independent” – 📅 2025-08-22
🔗 Read Article

🔸 6 OnlyFans stats that show how massive the platform has become
🗞️ Source: “AOL” – 📅 2025-08-22
🔗 Read Article

😅 A Quick Shameless Plug (Hope You Don’t Mind)

If you’re creating on OnlyFans, Fansly, or similar platforms — don’t let your content go unnoticed.

🔥 Join Top10Fans — the global ranking hub built to spotlight creators like YOU.

✅ Ranked by region & category

✅ Trusted by fans in 100+ countries

🎁 Limited-Time Offer: Get 1 month of FREE homepage promotion when you join now!

📌 Disclaimer

This post blends publicly available information with a touch of AI assistance. It’s meant for sharing and discussion purposes only — not all details are officially verified. Please take it with a grain of salt and double-check when needed.