OnlyFans is considering selling its majority stake to Architect Capital

OnlyFans — a massive network of adult content creators where performers and influencers sell subscription-based content directly to fans — is considering selling a majority stake of its business to investment firm Architect Capital, a source close to the deal told TechCrunch. The deal would value the platform at $5.5 billion.

Of the $5.5 billion, $3.5 billion will be equity and $2 billion will be debt, the source said. Under these terms, the architect will assume a 60% stake in the company. The two parties are exclusive, meaning OnlyFans is prohibited from negotiating with other potential buyers for a specific period of time. It is unclear what the timetable for completing the deal is. The Wall Street Journal had previously published details of these negotiations.

TechCrunch has reached out to Architect Capital for comment.

This isn’t the first time in recent memory that OnlyFans has been in talks to sell its business. Last year, the New York Post reported that Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of the site, was looking to “draw money” and was courting potential buyers. Subsequent reports showed that the platform’s parent company, Fenix ​​International Ltd., was in talks with a US-based investor group led by Los Angeles-based investment firm Forest Road Company. It’s not clear what happened to those discussions, though a source told TechCrunch that there have been a number of interested parties since OnlyFans announced its interest in selling a majority stake.

A potential business partner in this particular deal is Architect, which launched in 2021 as an asset-based lender — a company that provides loans secured by a company’s assets — and is looking to partner with early-stage startups.

OnlyFans maintains that it is not a porn site, despite the fact that the majority of its creators produce adult content. The site, a British company, was founded in 2016 by Tim Stockley, who also initially served as its CEO. Stokely sold a majority stake in the site’s parent company, Fenix ​​International, to Radvinsky in 2018. Over the years, it has been plagued by a variety of legal controversies, including lawsuits accusing the site of profiting from offensive videos.