Latest news with #US1.3
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
How adult content platform OnlyFans transformed porn
Since it was founded in 2016 by a well-heeled Brit, OnlyFans has grown into a giant of X-rated content. The platform, whose current owner, a secretive Ukrainian-American, is reportedly looking to sell it for $US8 billion (about $12.3 billion), is used by more than four million 'creators', who post content, and more than 300 million 'fans', who pay for it. In the 12 months to November 2023, the latest data available, it brought in revenue of US1.3 billion (about $2 billion). At around 50 per cent, its operating margin was higher than those of tech giants such as Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft. OnlyFans has not only been an enormous financial success. It has transformed how porn is made, shared and consumed online. The internet has been filled with smut for as long as it has existed. Work published in the Journal of Sex Research in 2023 suggests major porn sites get more monthly visitors and page views than Amazon, Netflix or Zoom. Yet the porn industry has struggled to make money. 'Tube sites', such as PornHub, allow more or less anyone to watch videos for free. Advertising revenues are paltry, as many brands would rather not be associated with adult content. Measures to keep illicit content such as child porn off some sites are weak. OnlyFans, by contrast, has developed a lucrative new approach. It charges users to watch videos, with extra fees for bespoke content, merchandise and personalised chats. Much of this, though not all, is sexual in nature. OnlyFans keeps a 20 per cent cut of what users pay, slightly less than Uber, a ride-hailing app, and about the same as Airbnb, a home-sharing platform. The company paid creators $US5.3 billion (about $8.2 billion) in the 12 months to November 2023. And OnlyFans isn't on the app stores run by Apple and Google, which means it doesn't have to pay hefty fees on in-app purchases. Loading Because it has money, OnlyFans can invest in security measures which, though imperfect, are at least better than those of many of its peers. In some markets, including Britain, it uses third-party technology to estimate a viewer's age based on a facial scan, to ensure minors don't sign up. For creators, it requires numerous pieces of documentation, including a government ID and bank details. It has a team of nearly 1500 people verifying accounts and checking that videos on the platform meet its rules. In May, OnlyFans rejected about two-thirds of the 187,305 applications it received for new accounts. Keily Blair, its chief executive, compares this to the know-your-customer process followed by big banks. 'There is no anonymity on OnlyFans,' she says, adding that content is not end-to-end encrypted, allowing the company to monitor what is published, and there is no algorithm pushing posts. Creators have flocked to the site. Last year Lily Allen, a famous singer, revealed she was making more money through her OnlyFans account, where she shared photographs of her feet, than through Spotify, a music-streaming service. Bonnie Blue, a sex worker who was banned from OnlyFans this month following a stunt in which she slept with more than 1000 men in a day, tells The Economist she earned as much as $US250,000 (about $385,000) per month from the site. She bought a Ferrari and a Rolex with the proceeds. Hers is a serious business. Ms Blue has a team of around 10 people, including photographers, editors and security. She says she spends 60-70 per cent of her time at her desk, rather than in the bedroom, replying to messages and doing administrative tasks.
The Age
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
How adult content platform OnlyFans transformed porn
Since it was founded in 2016 by a well-heeled Brit, OnlyFans has grown into a giant of X-rated content. The platform, whose current owner, a secretive Ukrainian-American, is reportedly looking to sell it for $US8 billion (about $12.3 billion), is used by over four million 'creators', who post content, and over 300 million 'fans', who pay for it. In the 12 months to November 2023, the latest data available, it brought in revenue of US1.3 billion (about $2 billion). At around 50 per cent, its operating margin was higher than those of tech giants such as Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft. OnlyFans has not only been an enormous financial success. It has transformed how porn is made, shared and consumed online. The internet has been filled with smut for as long as it has existed. Work published in the Journal of Sex Research in 2023 suggests major porn sites get more monthly visitors and page views than Amazon, Netflix or Zoom. Yet, the porn industry has struggled to make money. 'Tube sites', such as PornHub, allow more or less anyone to watch videos for free. Advertising revenues are paltry, as many brands would rather not be associated with adult content. Measures to keep illicit content, like child porn, off some sites are weak. OnlyFans, by contrast, has developed a lucrative new approach. It charges users to watch videos, with extra fees for bespoke content, merchandise and personalised chats. Much of this, though not all, is sexual in nature. OnlyFans keeps a 20 per cent cut of what users pay, slightly less than Uber, a ride-hailing app, and about the same as Airbnb, a home-sharing platform. The company paid creators $US5.3 billion (about $8.2 billion) in the 12 months to November 2023. And OnlyFans isn't on the app stores run by Apple and Google, which means it doesn't have to pay hefty fees on in-app purchases. Loading Because it has money, OnlyFans can invest in security measures which, though imperfect, are at least better than those of many of its peers. In some markets, including Britain, it uses third-party technology to estimate a viewer's age based on a facial scan, to ensure minors don't sign up. For creators, it requires numerous pieces of documentation, including a government ID and bank details. It has a team of nearly 1500 people verifying accounts and checking that videos on the platform meet its rules. In May, OnlyFans rejected about two-thirds of the 187,305 applications it received for new accounts. Keily Blair, its chief executive, compares this to the know-your-customer process followed by big banks. 'There is no anonymity on OnlyFans,' she says, adding that content is not end-to-end encrypted, allowing the company to monitor what is published, and there is no algorithm pushing posts. Creators have flocked to the site. Last year Lily Allen, a famous singer, revealed she was making more money through her OnlyFans account, where she shared photographs of her feet, than through Spotify, a music-streaming service. Bonnie Blue, a sex worker who was banned from OnlyFans this month following a stunt in which she slept with more than 1000 men in a day, tells The Economist she earned as much as $US250,000 (about $385,000) per month from the site. She bought a Ferrari and a Rolex with the proceeds. Hers is a serious business. Ms Blue has a team of around ten people, including photographers, editors and security. She says she spends 60–70 per cent of her time at her desk, rather than in the bedroom, replying to messages and doing administrative tasks. 'Being an online creator isn't as glam as it seems,' she says.
AU Financial Review
15-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Why oil price isn't what this $US1.2 trillion manager is watching
Crude oil futures back above $US72 a barrel for the first time in months has sparked fears about inflation and economic growth. Some commentators are even saying it will make it harder for the Federal Reserve to cut rates. But Anders Persson, global fixed income chief investment officer at $US1.3 trillion ($2 trillion) asset manager Nuveen, says the market or economic impact isn't worth losing too much sleep over.
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
High-level coach talks to students about success
One of New Zealand's best-known sport coaching and high-performance consultants came to Gore last week to teach local educators how to get the best response from their athletes. Dave Hadfield gave a mental skills masterclass last Wednesday at the Gore Library, telling the audience his whakapapa, some key coaching concepts and his success stories with famous athletes. Mr Hadfield consulted both elite players and coaches of New Zealand rugby teams for 25 years, and has worked internationally with the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball since 2017. Once a fourth generation sheep and beef farmer on the Kapiti Coast, Mr Hadfield had to sell when interest rates peaked in the 1980s. The loss of the family farm caused him to sink into a very big hole, he said. "Looking back now at what I know now, I was clinically depressed," he said. Following this, he went to university and earned a degree in psychology. With experience playing rugby and coaching cricket he was approached by close friend, former All Black captain Graham Mourie, to help his coaching of the Hurricanes and carried on from there. During the talk, he spoke of the importance, at the age of 73, to continue learning and to keep an open mind to new concepts. "I've got pretty well established views on things, but I'm always open to tweaking." He spoke of different coaching styles, ranging from the "I'll teach you" to the "you get on with it" approach. None of the styles were wrong, he said, but had to be applied to the right style of learner. When consulting rugby coaches, and especially with high school teams, he said he encouraged them to identify two or three leaders in a team. He said those leaders would help guide the group. He also told of a Blue Jays player who was batting against a machine and constantly missing. He asked the player if he could remember a time when he was always hitting the ball. The player said he did and Mr Hadfield told the batter to shut his eyes and imagine he was back in that moment. Once there, Mr Hadfield instructed the player take some swings. "And then he just went whack, whack, whack, whack," he said. After successfully hitting the ball several times, the player gave Mr Hadfield a hug and the consultant said he had to explain to the coaches that he was not a guru. He had just applied the "listening to and asking questions" style of coaching to the player, who ended up signing a $US1.3 million ($NZ2.15m) contract. Mr Hadfield's visit to Gore was a fundraiser for Māruawai College's basketball team. His son Sam Hadfield teaches music and kapa haka at the school.
Sydney Morning Herald
04-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
One of the world's busiest airports gets a $2 billion upgrade
The look A distinctive multi-peaked roof mimics Colorado's Rocky Mountains with 34 Teflon fibreglass 'tents' housing Denver's unique passenger terminal complex. The design has won numerous architectural awards and still dazzles from where it sits at the adventure gateway to the Rockies, despite clocking its 30th birthday in 2025. Inside, the pavilion-like roof utilises sustainable heating systems and gives a spacious, airy feeling alongside walls of glass to let natural light in and break up hours of claustrophobic, temperature-controlled travel. Small portions are currently boarded up – but don't feel obtrusive – as the airport undergoes a $US1.3 billion refurbishment known as the 'Great Hall Program' to be completed in 2027. Check in It's the age of unmanned check-in kiosks and a few self-service screens are stalled by a 'loading' death spiral. I soon ask for human assistance anyway, because the 23-kilogram baggage limit on United Airlines won't compute with the 30-kilogram limit I've been allocated by booking Denver-Sydney through Qantas as a Silver Frequent Flyer. A gruff employee quickly overrides the $US200 overweight charge, and my haul of heavy ski jackets and snow boots trundle off into the airport's belly. Security Denver is the third-busiest airport in the US, serving more than 82.4 million passengers in 2024. The security lines, until recently, were notorious. Fortunately, the most important upgrades of the Great Hall Program are 17 new security screening lanes – all operating at rapid pace when I go through West Security Checkpoint. There's a five-minute wait before I remove my coat, shoes, belt and a newly acquired cowgirl hat to go through. The most time-consuming process is getting to the actual gates - Denver airport has the largest land footprint in the US and it's a 2.3-kilometre walk to the furthest gate. But the journey is straightforward via an automated underground train transporting passengers to A, B and C concourses. Food + drink I pop out at Concourse B where there's a plethora of options with quick eats led by American juggernauts Chick-fil-A, Jamba Juice, Shake Shack, SmashBurger and Starbucks. Modern Market appears to be the healthiest option with salads, soups and sandwiches. Local Colorado brewery New Belgium Brewing keeps the boys on a buck's weekend watered, while Denver's legendary brunch diner Snooze A.M. Eatery serves all-day breakfast to the time-zone-addled. Retail therapy Duty free includes the usual perfumes, makeup and alcohol stores alongside knickknacks and convenience items. The independent Denver bookstore chain of Tattered Cover Book Stores vies for my remaining American dollars. Alas, those end up going to a $US20 neck pillow after kicking myself when I realise I left mine in the hotel. Passing time Having arrived at the rental car drop-off three hours before my flight, the meandering journey to my gate leaves little time before boarding. I'd otherwise check out the golf simulator on Concourse A, the express day spa on Concourse C, or make friends with the Canine Airport Therapy Squad (CATS) team of happy pooches and one feline trotting around. But for 20 minutes I'm fully content to log into the airport's free Wi-Fi, sink into rows of padded seating in front of floor-to-ceiling glass and watch the sun set over the Rocky Mountains. The verdict Loading My worst airport experience ever was in this very terminal 10 years ago on a public holiday, when I waited in a snaking security queue that filled the entrance hall and extended out the automatic doors into the snow. Today, recent upgrades make it one of the best. Security screening is no longer the Wild West and accessing Colorado's four national parks and 28 ski resorts just got easier. Our rating out of five ★★★★½
