GoKawiilIn Brief
Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of the adult creator network OnlyFans, has passed away at the age of 43 after a battle with cancer.
OnlyFans confirmed Radvinsky’s death on Monday. The company said it was “deeply saddened” by his passing, according to a spokesperson, adding that his family has requested privacy. Reuters first reported the news.
Originally from Odesa, Ukraine, Radvinsky moved to Chicago as a child and began running adult streaming websites in his teenage years, launching MyFreeCams in 2004.
Radvinsky bought a 75% stake in Fenix International Limited, the parent company of OnlyFans, in 2018 and served as its director and majority shareholder. In addition to OnlyFans, he invested in tech companies via Leo, a venture capital fund that was established in 2009.
OnlyFans was founded in 2016 by Tim Stokely and gained massive popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform enabled creators to monetize their work directly, attracting many workers in the adult industry seeking a reliable source of income. To date, OnlyFans has paid out over $25 billion to creators.
Radvinsky’s passing comes a few months after the company was reportedly in negotiations to sell a 60% stake in OnlyFans, which would have valued the company at around $5.5 billion.