When Amrapali “Ami” Gan became CEO of OnlyFans in December 2021, she wasn’t just moving up from her job as chief marketing and communications officer. She was taking over as CEO of one of the most talked-about companies during the pandemic. It was a creator platform that became popular because of its open content policies and the large number of adult content creators who switched to its subscription services during a hard time.
Since its founding in 2016 by former CEO Tim Stokely, OnlyFans says it has paid out more than $8 billion to creators. This includes adult film makers, workout coaches, celebrities like Cardi B and Carmen Electra, and any of the other two million people who claim a profile on the platform. OnlyFans says that 200 million people have signed up to use it. OnlyFans, on the other hand, is different. Most of the content on other social media platforms is free, and the influencers and tech companies behind them make money through ads or sponsored content. Users have to pay for their own subscriptions, and OnlyFans takes 20% of each payment.
That might seem like a lot, but Gan says it’s just the cost of doing business in an industry where the platform has to pay a lot to meet safety standards. OnlyFans is based in London and has more than 1,000 employees. Gan says that more than 80% of them work mainly on content moderation and support. OnlyFans says that more than 1,000 of the creators have made more than $1 million each. Many of them are happy about this.
Gan says, “We’re a unique organization because we’re the most inclusive platform. We give creators of all ages, even adults, a safe place to share their work.” That wasn’t always the case. A year ago, in August 2021, Stokely said that banking restrictions forced OnlyFans to ban explicit content. After a lot of backlash from creators, the ban was quickly changed, and Stokely stepped down, making way for Gan to take over as CEO soon after. She says, “I’m very proud to represent this community and to be able to give our creator community opportunities that they can’t get anywhere else.” “I think we’re just getting started with what this platform is.”
OnlyFans has a big network of people who make and like adult content. Corinna Kopf, for example, can make as much as $1 million per month. Even after the Corinna Kopf OnlyFans leaks, she is still making a lot of money.
You became CEO of OnlyFans because you had worked in marketing and communication there before. You also used to work for a LA cannabis cafe. What’s the most surprising thing that’s happened to you since you became CEO a year ago?
OnlyFans is a disruptive company, and me running the business is just one more example. We’re not like most businesses. Before I was given this job, I did so much behind the scenes that everyone in the company was like, “Oh, that makes sense.” I’ll never forget when the executive announcement came out at the end of December. I don’t think any of us thought it would be as big of a deal as it was. But we’re OnlyFans, so everything we do gets a little more attention. It was one of the most overwhelming things I’ve ever experienced, getting so many nice comments and thoughts. Most important were the messages I got from those who made us. I really cared about what they said, because it made me feel like they were someone I could relate to and who would have my back.