Leonid "Leo" Radvinsky, the owner of OnlyFans, has died at the age of 43.
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The billionaire's death was confirmed by the company today, March 23, and was reported by Reuters.
"We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer," said a company spokesperson.
OnlyFans Owner Was a Private Person
Radvinsky was born in Ukraine and grew up in Chicago. In 2018, he purchased Fenix International, the parent company of OnlyFans, from British founder Tim Stokely. After the acquisition, he became a director on its board and the majority stakeholder.
Under Radvinsky's leadership, OnlyFans significantly changed the adult industry. Initially, the platform did not feature the explicit content it is now recognized for.
The platform today boasts more than 300 million users, a community that encompasses both adult industry performers and celebrity influencers.
Part of the reason for its surge in popularity was due to the pandemic. With people stuck at home, users turned to the web to make money and share content. OnlyFans charges a 20% fee on most subscriptions and content on its site.
Radvinsky also ran a venture capital fund called Leo. It focuses on investing in tech companies. OnlyFans has been exploring a sale to the investment firm Architect Capital. However, Radvinsky's shares have been held in a trust since 2024.
OnlyFans Became A Way For Artists to Make Money
Over the last few years, musicians such as Kate Nash have used the platform to fund their creative projects.
With the rise of streaming and the cost of touring increasing, songwriters have to find other income streams. To stay relevant, they're taking to the platform to fund shows. Many famous artists, such as Nash, Lilly Allen, Brooke Candy, and even country singer Austin Mahone, have opened OnlyFans accounts.
Speaking about her decision to get into OnlyFans, artist Kate Nash said, "'I don't have rich parents. I don't know a millionaire that would invest in me. And I was like, "Well, butts for tour buses is a funny campaign." I was like, why don't I just do this and make a punk protest about how little our music is valued and let's see if my a**e is worth more."
