By KAITLYN HUAMANI AP Technology Writer
Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of OnlyFans, the adult content platform, has died from cancer, according to the company. He was 43.
Radvinsky transformed the pornography industry with OnlyFans’ subscription-based model after acquiring the company that owns and operates the platform in 2018.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer,” a company spokesperson said in a statement on Monday, emphasizing that Radvinsky’s family has requested privacy. Little is known about Radvinsky’s personal life and he seldom spoke publicly.
OnlyFans allows creators to charge directly for their content. While it attracts some celebrities, athletes and other public figures as a way to interact with fans and monetize off of those interactions, it is largely known for its use by those making or seeking pornographic content.
The site’s increase in popularity in the porn industry coincided with the pandemic, when many sex workers joined OnlyFans as an alternative to in-person venues and interactions. The platform has been tremendously lucrative for some people, allowing them to earn thousands every month. The company has reported making billions of dollars annually in gross revenue and has hundreds of millions of users.
Earlier in his career, Radvinsky created a website called MyFreeCams, according to Reuters, which was a pioneer in letting people pay for explicit content online.
Born in Ukraine, Radvinsky grew up in Chicago and studied economics at Northwestern University, where he was his class valedictorian.
Radvinsky acquired Fenix International Limited, the company that owns and operates OnlyFans, in 2018 and served as its director and majority shareholder.
Radvinsky was also an angel investor in several other companies and supported several philanthropic projects globally. According to his personal website, organizations that he had donated to included the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, animal welfare organization The West Suburban Humane Society and The University of Chicago Medicine.