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The Curve · Tuesday · 1 hr 2 min

OnlyFans: exploitation dressed up as empowerment.

Soph and Emma spring off the back of Margot's Got Money Troubles to unpack what's actually going on with OnlyFans. They investigate who's really making money on the platform, how the business model works, and why the numbers are nowhere near as glamorous as the headlines suggest. They also get into the darker side of the industry: the rise of exploitative "managers" who take control of creators' earnings, and why that's happening right under the platform's nose. Plus, why OnlyFans is one of the most profitable businesses but it's almost impossible for it to go public. The real story isn't how much you can make on OnlyFans, it's who ends up keeping it. Sign up to our Substack, we’ve got even more to say topic (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Check out our episode with OnlyFans creator Grace Wears Lace (https://youtu.be/e7dVWOEBl5Y?si=TKZSyUjpEQapV8Pe) If you were intrigued by the ‘Revenge of the Simps’ article (https://www.thecut.com/article/cam-girls-webcam-pimp.html) Just in case you wanted to read the peer-reviewed paper (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2) Emma’s Links Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/emmalouiseboynton) Pleasure (https://geni.us/pleasureelboynton) Sex Talks (https://www.sextalks.co.uk) Substack: (https://emmalouiseboynton.substack.com/) WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits: Operating profit What's left after running costs. Before tax takes its cut. Valuation What a business is worth on paper. Not what's in the bank. IPO When a private company sells shares to the public for the first time. External capital Outside money brought in to help a business grow. Payment processing risk The chance your bank partners get cold feet and pull out. Revenue split The cut a platform or manager takes before you see a penny. Dividends Profit paid out to owners instead of reinvested in the business. Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve Credits: Hosts: Sophie Hallwright Producer: Emily Rigby Editor: Kate Callaghan Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline) For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 Coming up in today’s episode … 00:01:04 Generate x The Curve 00:01:02 Weekly catch up 00:05:14 Margo’s got money troubles review 00:13:20 The non-sexual side to OnlyFans 00:19:50 How much can you actually earn? 00:34:04 Generate x The Curve 00:34:41 The dark side of OnlyFans 00:44:10 Behind the business model 00:59:10 Key takeaways 01:01:20 Thanks for listening 01:02:04 Financial Disclaimer Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice. Generate’s Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Advice Provider License can be found here: GenerateKiwiSaver.co.nz/disclosures. *Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey March Quarter End 2026. The Generate Focused Growth Fund returns have ranked in the top three of NZ Multi Sector Aggressive Category Funds for 10 year returns every quarter since becoming eligible in June 2023. Most recently the fund ranked 2nd out of 10 funds for 10 year returns to 31 March 2026.

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Soph and Emma spring off the back of Margot's Got Money Troubles to unpack what's actually going on with OnlyFans. They investigate who's really making money on the platform, how the business model works, and why the numbers are nowhere near as glamorous as the headlines suggest. They also get into the darker side of the industry: the rise of exploitative "managers" who take control of creators' earnings, and why that's happening right under the platform's nose. Plus, why OnlyFans is one of the most profitable businesses but it's almost impossible for it to go public. The real story isn't how much you can make on OnlyFans, it's who ends up keeping it.

Sign up to our Substack, we’ve got even more to say topic (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)

Check out our episode with OnlyFans creator Grace Wears Lace (https://youtu.be/e7dVWOEBl5Y?si=TKZSyUjpEQapV8Pe)

If you were intrigued by the ‘Revenge of the Simps’ article (https://www.thecut.com/article/cam-girls-webcam-pimp.html)

Just in case you wanted to read the peer-reviewed paper (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2)

Emma’s Links
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/emmalouiseboynton)
Pleasure (https://geni.us/pleasureelboynton)
Sex Talks (https://www.sextalks.co.uk)
Substack: (https://emmalouiseboynton.substack.com/)

WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits:

Operating profit What's left after running costs. Before tax takes its cut.
Valuation What a business is worth on paper. Not what's in the bank.
IPO When a private company sells shares to the public for the first time.
External capital Outside money brought in to help a business grow.
Payment processing risk The chance your bank partners get cold feet and pull out.
Revenue split The cut a platform or manager takes before you see a penny.
Dividends Profit paid out to owners instead of reinvested in the business.

Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve


Credits:

Hosts: Sophie Hallwright

Producer: Emily Rigby

Editor: Kate Callaghan

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/)

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3)

⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly)

Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)

Chapters

  • 00:00:00 Coming up in today’s episode …
  • 00:01:04 Generate x The Curve
  • 00:01:02 Weekly catch up
  • 00:05:14 Margo’s got money troubles review
  • 00:13:20 The non-sexual side to OnlyFans
  • 00:19:50 How much can you actually earn?
  • 00:34:04 Generate x The Curve
  • 00:34:41 The dark side of OnlyFans
  • 00:44:10 Behind the business model
  • 00:59:10 Key takeaways
  • 01:01:20 Thanks for listening
  • 01:02:04 Financial Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Generate’s Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Advice Provider License can be found here: GenerateKiwiSaver.co.nz/disclosures.


*Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey March Quarter End 2026. The Generate Focused Growth Fund returns have ranked in the top three of NZ Multi Sector Aggressive Category Funds for 10 year returns every quarter since becoming eligible in June 2023. Most recently the fund ranked 2nd out of 10 funds for 10 year returns to 31 March 2026.

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