Billionaire businessman and owner of subscription platform OnlyFans, Leonid Radvinsky, has died at the age of 43 after a long battle with cancer.
The company announced his death on Monday, saying he passed away peacefully. It also said his family had asked for privacy at this time.
His death comes as the company was said to be in the early stage of talks over the possible sale of a majority stake.
In a statement, the London-based firm said, “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer.”
Radvinsky became the majority owner of OnlyFans in 2018 through its parent company, Fenix International Ltd. During his time in charge, the platform grew quickly into one of the biggest names in the global digital subscription business.
OnlyFans was founded in 2016 by Guy Stokely and Tim Stokely. The platform became more popular during the COVID 19 pandemic, when many creators turned to it as a source of income.
By 2024, the company had more than 4.6 million creators and around 377 million users worldwide. It also posted $1.4 billion in revenue, while continuing to earn through the 20 per cent commission it takes from creators’ earnings.
Before his death, reports said Radvinsky had been considering the sale of a 60 per cent stake in the company at a valuation of about $5.5 billion.
Architect Capital, a San Francisco based investment firm, was said to have held early discussions on leading the deal through a mix of equity and about $2 billion in debt financing.
Though the talks were still at an early stage, they showed rising investor interest in subscription based platforms, despite ongoing regulatory and reputational concerns.
Radvinsky was also known for the huge financial returns he received from the business. Reports said he collected about $1.8 billion in dividends from the company since 2021, including a $700 million payout in 2024.
His net worth was estimated at $3.8 billion in 2025, while some reports placed it at $4.7 billion at the time of his death.
The company also said he transferred his ownership stake to a trust in 2024, a move that may affect succession and future control of the platform.
Born in Odesa, Ukraine, into a Jewish family, Radvinsky later moved to Chicago, where he studied economics at Northwestern University and graduated in 2002.
He started his internet business journey as a teenager with Cybertania, a referral based website venture. In 2004, he founded MyFreeCams, one of the early platforms in paid adult live streaming.
Outside that space, he ran a venture capital firm called Leo, invested in technology companies, and supported open source projects. He was also involved in philanthropy, donating millions to Ukraine relief, cancer research, and animal welfare.
