Discussion underway for sale of OnlyFans company to a group of investors, estimated to be worth around $8 billion, according to unnamed sources.
OnlyFans in Talks for $8 Billion Sale to Investor Group Led by Forest Road Company
In a potentially game-changing move, London-based OnlyFans—the online platform best known for enabling porn creators to charge subscribers for content—is reportedly in talks to sell for approximately $8 billion to an investor group led by Los Angeles-based Forest Road Company. Sources familiar with the matter have revealed this information to Reuters, although the identities of the specific investors within the group remain undisclosed.
Since its inception in 2017, Forest Road Company has been an investment firm with interests in media, renewable energy, and digital assets[1]. Their ventures have spanned a Formula E racing team and the acquisition of a majority stake in ACF Investment Bank in 2024.
OnlyFans, which experienced rapid growth during the Covid-19 pandemic, generated $6.6 billion in revenue in the year ended November 2023, up from $375 million in 2020[2]. This growth has caught the attention of various suitors, with talks about a possible sale having been held since at least March[3]. While the sources have indicated that a deal could be reached in the near future, they also caution that no certainty of a sale can be guaranteed.
Until now, OnlyFans' sole shareholder has been Ukrainian-American businessman Leonid Radvinsky[2]. He purchased the company in 2018 and has reportedly paid himself at least $1 billion in dividends over the past three years[2].
There have been controversy and concerns surrounding OnlyFans due to allegations of illegal content such as child sexual abuse material, trafficking victims, and nonconsensual porn appearing on the site since 2019[5]. Such allegations have made the platform untouchable for many big banks and investors because of the potential for due diligence to uncover such content[5].
In response to the reports, OnlyFans and Forest Road Company have both declined to comment on the matter[3]. Other potential suitors are allegedly also in talks with Fenix International Ltd, the owners of OnlyFans[3]. The possibility of an initial public offering is also being considered[3].
Sources and References1. Forest Road Company Website. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.forestroad.co/2. "OnlyFans:메다어 발행-10Class=="srcset" title="OnlyFans owners Fenix International Ltd" 인／OnlyFans owners Fenix International Ltd, 2023년 5월 16일., retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/british-regulators-show-onlyfans-earned-6-6b-revenue-2023-01-14/3. "Sources: OnlyFans owner Fenix International in talks to sell porn-driven company for $8 bln". Reuters. 2023년 5월 16일.. Retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/sources-onlyfans-owner-fenix-international-in-talks-sell-porn-driven-company-8-billion-2023-05-16/4. IPO: Forest Road Company. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?CIK=14649045. Reuters. (2022, August 16). Reuters investigation: Child sexual abuse material and trafficking on OnlyFans. Retrieved May 16, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/onlyfans-abuse/
- The potential $8 billion sale of OnlyFans, an international online platform known for its adult content, could mark a significant expansion for Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm with interests in media, renewable energy, and digital assets.
- This proposed deal, if finalized, would not only signify a strategic move in the business world for Forest Road Company but also open up new avenues for investing in the digital finance sector, as OnlyFans, with its robust revenue generation, offers a promising platform for future growth.
