Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of adult content platform OnlyFans has passed away aged 43 years, after a long battle with cancer, the company said in an emailed statement, Bloomberg reported on 23 March.
London-based OnlyFans stated: “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer. His family have requested privacy at this difficult time.”
Who is Leonid Radvinsy: About the reclusive, billionaire owner of OnlyFans
Radvinsky bought a majority stake in the platform in 2018 from its British father-and-son founders Guy and Tim Stokely, who had founded the site in 2016. He turned it into a cultural phenomenon that reshaped the pornography industry by allowing creators to charge directly for their content. He owned the OnlyFans parent company, Fenix International Ltd., according to the company’s last filing in the UK.
His death brings ownership questions over one of the most controversial user-generated platforms to arrive since Facebook. Founded in 2016 by British father and son Guy and Tim Stokely, OnlyFans rose to fame by hosting pornographic material forbidden on most social networks. It grew in popularity during the pandemic, when many adult film actors and sex workers turned online for alternative sources of income.
Radvinsky had been in talks to sell a 60% stake in OnlyFans in a deal giving the site an enterprise value of around $5.5 billion. Architect Capital, a little-known investment firm based in San Francisco, had entered talks to lead an offer with equity and around $2 billion in debt, according to a person familiar with the matter. As of February, the talks were still in their early stages, said the person who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private.
While the company has tried recruiting more mainstream posters, like celebrity chefs and athletes, it remains known for its adult content.
OnlyFans takes a 20% fee on most subscriptions and content sold on the platform. In 2024, the company reported more than 4.6 million creator accounts and some 377 million fans, posting revenue of $1.4 billion.
Radvinsky had paid himself about $1.8 billion in dividends from the platform since 2021.
Born in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, Radvinsky’s family moved to Chicago when he was a child. He lived most recently in Florida, according to his website. OnlyFans said Radvinsky, who has given few public interviews and statements, had supported “several philanthropic projects globally.”
According to his website, Radvinsky has donated to charities including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, open source initiatives and the West Suburban Humane Society.
OnlyFans said Radvinsky moved his ownership to a trust in 2024.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)