The owner of OnlyFans has died: what will happen to the platform following Radwinski’s death
23 March 15:23
Billionaire and OnlyFans founder Leonid Radvinsky has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 43.
The entrepreneur’s death was announced by the company, headquartered in London, according to Bloomberg, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian"
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Leo Radvinsky. He passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer,” the company said in a statement.
The family has asked that their privacy be respected.
The man who transformed the adult content industry
Radwinski acquired a controlling stake in OnlyFans in 2018 and turned the platform into a global phenomenon.
His company, Fenix International Ltd.—the owner of OnlyFans—is registered in the United Kingdom.
The platform’s model transformed the adult content industry: creators gained the ability to directly sell subscriptions to their own content.
How OnlyFans Came to Be
The platform was founded in 2016 by a father and son:
- Guy Stockley
- Tim Stockley
OnlyFans became popular because it allowed users to post content that is banned on most social media platforms.
Its popularity surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when:
- adult film actors
- sex workers began moving online en masse, seeking alternative sources of income.
The platform’s billion-dollar revenue
Despite attempts to attract a broader audience—including chefs, athletes, and celebrities—the service is still primarily associated with adult content.
Key company figures for 2024:
- 4.6 million content creators
- 377 million users
- $1.4 billion in revenue
The platform receives a 20% commission on most subscriptions and sales.
Since 2021, Radwinski has paid himself approximately $1.8 billion in dividends.
Sale of a stake and an uncertain future
Before his death, the entrepreneur was negotiating the sale of a 60% stake in OnlyFans.
The deal could have valued the company at approximately $5.5 billion.
According to sources, the negotiations were led by San Francisco-based investment firm Architect Capital, which was considering an offer combining equity and about $2 billion in debt financing.
As of February, the negotiations were in the early stages.
Radwinski’s death could call into question the platform’s future ownership structure.
Background and Philanthropy
Radvinsky was born in Odessa.
His family moved to Chicago when he was a child, and he had been living in Florida in recent years.
He rarely gave interviews and avoided the public eye, but supported charitable projects.
Among the organizations he supported were:
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- open-source initiatives
- West Suburban Humane Society
What is known about the estate
The company reported that in 2024, Radwinski transferred his stake in OnlyFans to a trust.
This could determine future control over the platform—one of the most profitable and, at the same time, most controversial digital platforms of the past decade.
