Creators: When Was OnlyFans Founded? The Real Timeline

🧭 So, When Was OnlyFans Founded? (And Why It Matters Now)

If you’re here for a clean answer: OnlyFans was founded in 2016 in London by Tim Stokely and his father, Guy Stokely. That’s the official “Year Zero.” Two years later, entrepreneur Leonid Radvinsky acquired a majority stake (2018), and the platform’s trajectory properly took off — both in mainstream recognition and in creator payouts.

Why’s the founding date a big deal in 2025? Because OnlyFans has moved from a niche subscription hub to a heavyweight of the creator economy. Athletes, comedians, indie musicians, fitness coaches — they’ve all clocked the direct-fan business model. Just this week, CNN profiled tennis pro Sachia Vickery using OnlyFans to bankroll her training and travel — and she won’t be the last athlete to do it [CNN, 2025-08-24].

Financially, the momentum’s loud. Fresh filings show OnlyFans processed about $7.2 billion in subscriber payments in FY 2024 — that’s serious scale for any platform in our space [Yahoo, 2025-08-24]. And per UK business press, owner Leonid Radvinsky received £522 million in dividends last year, underlining how lucrative the engine has become as of late [RTE, 2025-08-22].

If you’re a UK creator, marketer, or just nosy (no judgement), understanding the 2016 origin and 2018 ownership shift helps make sense of how we arrived at today’s mix: adult creators still thriving, but a growing slate of trainers, comedians, and singers rounding out the feed — a push the company’s been very vocal about since its big growth spurt around 2022–2024.

📊 OnlyFans Timeline & Money Milestones (2016–2025)

What jumps off the page? First, the founding is recent — 2016 — yet the platform’s revenue engine scaled at a pace that would make a fintech blush. The 2018 ownership change is a proper inflection point, followed by diversification (fitness, comedy, music) and a hefty 2023 profit backdrop. By 2024, the platform processed an estimated $7.2 billion in subscriber payments, which tracks with rising creator numbers and bigger fan spend. The dividend line for 2024 underlines a healthy profit engine behind the scenes. For UK creators, the signal is clear: the infrastructure is mature — and fans are still paying.

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🔍 Why the 2016 Origin Story Still Matters in 2025

OnlyFans didn’t just pop up during the pandemic. Its 2016 launch set the stage for subscription-first, creator-controlled monetisation — in a very London way: bootstrappy, scrappy, and laser-focused on paying talent. That matters because fandom has shifted from “follow me” to “fund me.” The platform’s early design put creators’ earnings right at the centre — a choice that aged very well.

By 2018, the Radvinsky majority stake poured petrol on the fire. Payouts scaled, and the brand leaned into diverse formats. Reference filings show the holding company (Fenix International) booked roughly $485.5 million profit in the year to 30 Nov 2023 — up around 20% YoY — even as the platform recruited trainers, comedians, and singers to widen its audience. For creators who want to monetise without relying on ad algorithms, that’s catnip.

Then 2024: filings indicate about $7.2 billion in subscriber payments moved through the platform, and UK business outlets reported a £522 million dividend to the owner — a clear “the cash machine is working” signal. In the wild, fans are normalising paid intimacy and community access; not just NSFW. Look at athletes: CNN highlighted Sachia Vickery using OnlyFans to fund a pricey tennis career, and frankly, that use-case makes sense as travel, coaching, and physio costs soar [CNN, 2025-08-24].

As of August 2025, public opinion feels more pragmatic than moralistic. Uni students treat OF like a side-hustle or pop-up Patreon; indie musicians sell behind-the-scenes cuts; comedians test material with superfans before tour runs. That “pay for proximity” model is sticky — and it’s why the 2016 founding date is more than trivia. It marks the start of a monetisation shift that now underpins how creators everywhere think about income streams.

For UK marketers sizing collabs, the platform’s stability is the key takeaway. Creators want predictable payouts; brands want clear ROI. A platform founded less than a decade ago, now pushing multi‑billion dollar payment volume, answers both — with a cheeky grin and a payout button. And if you’re a creator debating “Is it too late?”, remember: subscription products aren’t winner‑takes‑all. Niches pay. Consistency converts. Offer genuine access and fans will back you.

Numbers aside, here’s the culture bit: OnlyFans has become shorthand for direct support. When athletes, DJs, or comedians jump on, fans barely blink now. That normalisation is why 2016–2018 mattered — it set the tone, built the rails, and proved people will pay for creators they actually rate.

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

❓ When exactly was OnlyFans founded, and by whom?

💬 OnlyFans launched in 2016 in London, founded by Tim Stokely and his father, Guy Stokely. That’s your pub‑quiz answer right there.

🛠️ What happened in 2018 — did ownership change the platform?

💬 Yep. Leonid Radvinsky acquired a majority stake in 2018. Post‑deal, growth and payouts ramped, and the platform leaned into more “non‑adult” verticals like fitness, comedy, and music.

🧠 Is OnlyFans still growing in 2025, or did it peak?

💬 Still humming. Filings show ~$7.2B processed in 2024 and chunky owner dividends, which screams “healthy margins.” Plus, new segments (athletes, campus creators, touring comics) keep the funnel fresh.

🧩 Final Thoughts…

If you remember one thing: OnlyFans was founded in 2016 — and those early decisions (creator-first, subscription-led) are why it’s a juggernaut today. The 2018 stake change supercharged growth; 2023–2024 numbers show serious scale; and 2025’s mainstream adoption suggests we’re nowhere near done. If you create, the rails are built. If you market, the audience is primed. Crack on.

📚 Further Reading

Here are 3 recent articles that give more context to this topic — all selected from verified sources. Feel free to explore 👇

🔸 Inside the Rise of OnlyFans on Campus
🗞️ Source: Town & Country – 📅 2025-08-24
🔗 Read Article

🔸 OnlyFans Revenue Soared to $7.2 Billion USD in 2024
🗞️ Source: Hypebeast – 📅 2025-08-24
🔗 Read Article

🔸 Household name OnlyFans star forced to cough up £30k after taxman launches huge probe into stars making millions on site
🗞️ Source: The Sun – 📅 2025-08-24
🔗 Read Article

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📌 Disclaimer

This post blends publicly available information with a touch of AI assistance. It’s meant for sharing and discussion purposes only — not all details are officially verified. Please take it with a grain of salt and double-check when needed. If anything weird pops up, blame the AI, not me — just ping me and I’ll fix it 😅.