How OnlyFans Business Turned Into a Global Empire

Both ventures failed. Stokely tried again. After an inspirational chat with friends, according to timstokely.com, he set out to create a website “that made it easy for all creators to monetize their content” – in other words, a social media platform with a pay button.

That platform was OnlyFans.

“The team hit the ground running, pulling late hours to bootstrap the company: From writing code to create a minimal, easy-to-use interface to personally messaging early adopters,” Stokely’s website said.

Stokely’s family – described as “very close-knit” by the website – played a central role. OnlyFans launched in 2016 with Tim as CEO and, by year’s end, his parents Guy and Deborah as directors. His brother Tom became chief operating officer in 2018.Both of Stokely’s previous business ventures ended in failure, but he was determined to try once more. After an uplifting conversation with friends, as detailed on his website timstokely.com, he envisioned a digital platform that would empower creators to effectively monetize their content. This concept evolved into what became known as OnlyFans, a revolutionary social media platform equipped with a payment feature, allowing users to earn from their work.

With a small but dedicated team, the initial launch of OnlyFans was marked by intense effort and collaboration. Team members often worked long hours, handling everything from writing code to developing a user-friendly interface, to directly reaching out to early users to foster engagement.

The Stokely family, described as exceptionally close-knit, played a pivotal role in the company’s operations. OnlyFans officially launched in 2016, with Tim Stokely at the helm as CEO. By the end of that first year, his parents, Guy and Deborah Stokely, took on director roles within the company, bringing their support and guidance into the fold. In 2018, his brother, Tom Stokely, joined the leadership team as the chief operating officer, further solidifying the family’s involvement in the growing venture.

REUTERS