According to news agency Reuters owner Fenix International is in advanced discussions about this with the investor group led by the American company Forest Road Company.
‘Erotic platform OnlyFans in discussions about acquisition of up to 8 billion dollars’
OnlyFans became particularly popular during the corona crisis thanks to the paid content from providers, mostly erotic photos and videos. Officially, the site profiles itself much more broadly with images and articles about fitness, music and cooking tips, but the vast majority of turnover still comes from sexually explicit material.
Previous attempts failed
Investors have often turned to OnlyFans. An earlier attempt was made in May. And in 2022, Forest Road tried through a so-called special purpose acquisition vehicle (SPAC) OnlyFans to go public. That attempt failed due to reluctant investors, even then.
According to the Financial Times British billionaires David and Simon Reuben would also participate again in the bid, possibly through a separate holding company. The brothers previously spoke with Forest Road about a joint takeover plan.
Founded in London, OnlyFans was purchased in 2018 by Ukrainian-American entrepreneur Leonid Radvinsky. At the time, he paid around $100 million to founder Tim Stokely. Even if sold below the current valuation of $7 to $8 billion, Radvinsky would make billions in profit.
Pornographic content
The sales process would be very difficult. Many major investors keep their distance for ethical reasons because they are not allowed to invest in companies that put pornographic content online. Payment processors also remain hesitant.
During the corona pandemic, the platform grew rapidly and achieved record profits. In 2024, pre-tax profit was $684 million.
Founders’ billion-dollar returns
According to insiders, the current talks want to be completed “within a few months”. Both Forest Road and OnlyFans declined to comment.