Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-born entrepreneur who turned OnlyFans into a global online powerhouse, has died at the age of 43. The company confirmed his passing, saying he “died peacefully after a long battle with cancer” and asked for privacy for his family.

Radvinsky, who grew up in Chicago and earned an economics degree from Northwestern University, bought OnlyFans in 2018 from its British founders. Under his leadership, the subscription-based platform exploded in popularity—particularly during the Covid-19 lockdowns—transforming into a multibillion-dollar business and earning him a spot on Forbes’ billionaire list by 2021.

OnlyFans, launched in 2016, allows creators to share photos and videos directly with paying subscribers. While it hosts a variety of content, from fitness tutorials to cooking lessons, it became best known for adult entertainment and its direct creator-fan interactions. The company takes a 20% commission on all transactions.

By 2024, OnlyFans reported more than 377 million registered users, 4.6 million active creators, and $1.4 billion in revenue from over £7 billion in total payments.

Radvinsky’s tenure wasn’t without controversy. Regulators in the UK investigated the platform over concerns that minors could access explicit material. Although the probe was later dropped, OnlyFans was fined about £1 million for providing incomplete information about its age-verification systems. The company also faced criticism in earlier years for allegedly failing to remove illegal content and briefly announced plans in 2021 to ban sexual material—a decision it quickly reversed after widespread backlash.

Beyond OnlyFans, Radvinsky invested in technology ventures through his Florida-based firm, Leo.com, and supported cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Forbes estimated his net worth at $4.7 billion.

He had reportedly been exploring a potential sale of OnlyFans in the year before his death.