It’s commonly asserted that for every OnlyFans account generating millions or even hundreds of thousands, there are 99 others barely making enough to buy a pack of cigarettes. Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) aims to investigate this claim. Inspectors are beginning a “search” to see if the 3,000 to 5,000 Greek individuals and couples on the subscription platform are increasing their earnings without declaring taxes.
Officially, 269 accounts are recognized as Greek on the platform. However, estimates suggest that the real number of Greek creators on OnlyFans is several thousand higher, as an entire industry has emerged around the platform. While much of it revolves around adult content, not everything is explicitly sexual in nature.
In a recent interview, content creator Olga Kotlida mentioned that someone in Greece could potentially earn €20,000 a month on OnlyFans.
There are even “managers” in Greece for those active on the platform. Some operate multiple social media accounts redirecting traffic to their OnlyFans pages (often referred to as “OF”), while others manage entirely benign accounts. Creators from various fields, including singers, actors, fitness trainers, athletes, chefs, and doctors, use the platform to enhance their visibility. Conversely, there are also accounts that serve as a gateway to prostitution.
What is OnlyFans?
The name literally translates to “Only Fans,” and the platform, established in 2016, primarily hosts about 70% pornographic content geared toward an adult audience. It operates as a platform-social network where content creators monetize their work—typically in the form of photos, videos, or live streams.
Fans subscribe to access the creator’s content, with subscription fees generally ranging from €5 to €15, as determined by the creator.
Creators earn money from their subscribers, with OnlyFans retaining 20% of the subscription fee and distributing the remaining 80% to the content creator. To heighten their earnings, creators can implement tiered subscription models—offering additional content behind a paywall. Fans often tip their favorite creators to foster a closer connection or seek personal interactions.
In most cases—by far—the content is pornographic. Whether it’s soft or hardcore matters less than the fact that, even in an age of free online pornography, people are willing to pay significant amounts to view nude images or videos. Some claim it’s the “girl-next-door” appeal that draws them in, yet it’s notable that celebrities tend to be the highest earners.
“Sponsors” or Victims?
Is it the fantasy of meeting their dream creator in real life that motivates fans? In reality, very few creators opt to meet their fans. Nonetheless, there are instances where fans have spent lavishly on their favorite creators.
In one documented case, a young man emptied his parents’ bank accounts to fund an OnlyFans model and subsequently killed them to inherit their wealth, which he promised to give to her. In another, a subscriber financed a $100,000 vacation for an OnlyFans model just to express gratitude for the support.
Thanks to the devotion of obsessive fans peeking through a digital keyhole, the platform reported earnings of $6.63 billion in 2023 (the latest available figures). This income stemmed from 305 million fan accounts, with 80%—or $5.32 billion—going to 4.1 million content creators. The user volume is so substantial that it has evolved into a full-blown industry with various sub-markets.
Some creators rake in millions thanks to hundreds or thousands of subscribers. Aspiring creators aim to replicate that success, while escort accounts proliferate alongside those promoting other professional endeavors.
This includes marketing professionals, athletes seeking sponsorships, and actors and singers trying to gain exposure.
How Much Do They Make?
Intense activity on OnlyFans has resulted in new professions, such as managers who handle and create OF accounts, and coaches—“professionals” who guide others on how to make more money on the platform. This can involve “lessons,” seminars, or subscription-only accounts that provide insights on attracting subscribers.
As Julia Alexandratou sang in her track about the motivation behind this surge of young men and women turning to OnlyFans, “The goal is money.” Unsurprisingly, those reaping the greatest rewards are often celebrities. As of late May 2025, rapper Iggy Azalea topped the earnings chart on OnlyFans with an impressive $48 million in one year. Social media personality Bhad Bhabie earned an astounding $800,000 on her first day and later amassed a total of $59 million. Other celebrities cashing in include Cardi B ($46.7 million), Bella Thorne ($37.3 million), and Tyga, who reportedly makes about $7 million a month.
While top earners profit from selling adult content, this isn’t universal. Just 1% of content creators account for about a third of all revenue on the platform. Others earn a meager $150 to $180 per month before taxes in the U.S., with even lower figures in smaller markets.
For instance, Greece ranks as the 43rd largest OnlyFans market by volume. Top earners there are largely celebrities or sex workers. Olga Kotlida, who gained notoriety from a TV show, earns about €15,000–€20,000 monthly from her OF account, similar to sex worker Lisa. However, those outside the celebrity sphere, like Vanessa Adamopoulou or Asimina Inglezou (who claims she’s seeking sponsorship as an athlete), must consistently produce content (often pornographic) and employ marketing tactics to generate real income (up to €4,000 a month). Without these efforts—advertising on relevant sites or hiring specialized consultants—their earnings may dwindle to zero.
The Greek OnlyFans landscape features celebrities, relatable personalities like Melodytv and Faihs Secret, men, and couples like Giorgos and Maria. Most charge between $3 and $15 per month and deliver predominantly pornographic content to subscribers. But is that the complete picture?
The Dark Side
Despite the platform’s strict measures to deter scammers (like requiring a selfie with an ID during registration) and to block trafficking networks, monitoring is quite challenging. Ironically, celebrities, who forgo conventional jobs to earn well from their content, often inadvertently lure in newcomers chasing easy money—who end up ensnared in sex work, slavery, or serious crime.
This process often begins innocently, as many young women recount. It frequently starts on popular social media platforms, where an often underage girl creates an account. Using TikTok or Instagram (which in Greece has largely turned into a means of promoting sexual services), she quickly garners followers drawn to her looks. “This can be monetized,” she thinks, inspired by influencers who’ve attained wealth.
Failing to secure long-term sponsors or make sufficient income from product promotions (like beauty items), she grows disillusioned and shifts to OnlyFans. She opts to display her nude body, hoping to earn—if not hundreds—then at least tens of thousands of euros without difficulty. Unfortunately, she may find herself among those who “can’t even earn enough to buy cigarettes” from OnlyFans.
These platforms are infiltrated by trafficking rings, pimps, and gang members. The threats are numerous. The former influencer turned content creator may find difficulty selling pornographic material amid fierce competition. To retain her scant number of subscribers (typically no more than three), she begins offering more. Without realizing it, she becomes a sex worker.
Under the Control of “Managers”
This may lead to prostitution, ultimately falling under the influence of “managers,” and could result in a move into full-time sex work or being lured to a “porta potty party” in Dubai—or on a yacht—with promises of a glamorous lifestyle. This darker aspect of OnlyFans mirrors experiences shared by numerous Greek women. Authorities in various countries have already cautioned that sex traffickers—even those exploiting minors—use the platform to prey on women aiming to make quick, easy money through soft porn. A UK victim’s account revealed that she earned over $422,000 through OnlyFans, yet her “manager” only paid her $2,000, pocketing the rest.
In other situations, OnlyFans serves as bait. It’s widely understood that many Greek OF accounts belong to escort agencies, primarily promoting sex workers seeking clients. There are additional hidden dangers. The Greek tax authority (AADE) is also scrutinizing the “Greek OnlyFans” phenomenon, not just looking at content creators but also their customers. Many registered Greek OF accounts declare and pay taxes on their earnings; thus, the issue extends to their fans. Credit cards “bombarding” creators with lavish gifts often conceal darker origins: funds from serious criminal activities being laundered. The environment is rife with speculation about influencers acting as “laundromats” for gangs to legitimize income from illicit sources.
Fans Are Victims Too
The risks extend to fans as well. They risk not only becoming addicted to the dopamine rush from porn but also receiving services vastly different from what they anticipated. Since OnlyFans allows for direct messaging, enabling fans to commune with creators and request personalized content, they often believe they truly know the person in the photos.
But is that genuinely the case? Scammers have devised methods to mislead OF managers and fabricate identities. There are also instances of Greek women discovering their images have been stolen from social media to fuel fake OnlyFans accounts—powered by artificial intelligence. Hence, a fan might think they’re interacting with Maria from Thessaloniki when, in truth, they’re chatting with… Babis from Sourmena. Creators themselves also utilize AI to manage message volumes.
A Reuters investigation exposed traffickers in various nations exploiting OnlyFans, with cases involving torture, isolation, and sexual enslavement. The culprits span from influencers to the victims’ own partners. The troubling case of 20-year-old Ukrainian OnlyFans model Maria Kovalchuk, found seriously injured in Dubai after reportedly participating in a porta potty party, has been classified by Ukrainian authorities as a potential human trafficking incident. A study from the University of Colorado assessed data from 13 OnlyFans accounts tied to 12 trafficking victims, revealing that one trafficker successfully transferred over $1 million from the victims’ accounts to his own.
Yet that’s not even the most chilling finding: In 2024, a child exploitation researcher flagged 26 OnlyFans accounts showcasing suspicious child sexual abuse content. All accounts were taken down within 24 hours post-report.
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