The Malignant Rise of OnlyFans Managers: Exploitation, Grooming, and Predatory Practices
The Rise of a New Breed of OnlyFans Managers
The adult‑content platform OnlyFans, which generated $7.2bn in 2024, is now host to a rapidly expanding industry of “managers” who take large commissions from creators. One of the most visible figures, Markuss Hussle (real name Markuss Kohs), promotes himself as an OnlyFans manager while critics label him an e‑pimp.
Markuss Hussle’s $8,000 Coaching Model and 50% Cut
Hussle runs a digital‑marketing agency that claims a 50% cut of the earnings of women who sell explicit videos on OnlyFans. He sells an $8,000 coaching programme that teaches young men how to recruit and manage creators, promising luxuries such as a $350,000 super‑car or a $150,000 Cape Town holiday if they “push women to perform better on camera.”
- Coaching fee: $8,000
- Commission taken from creators: 50%
- Target audience: men aged 18‑25, often recent school leavers
Revenue Landscape: OnlyFans’s $7.2bn Turnover and Manager Earnings
OnlyFans reports 377 million account holders and a 20% platform fee, leaving roughly $25bn paid out to creators since its 2016 launch. Managers like Hussle add another layer of profit‑sharing, effectively siphoning a portion of that creator payout.
- 2024 platform revenue: $7.2bn
- Total creator payouts since 2016: $25bn
- Typical manager cut: 50% of creator earnings
Industry Impact: Exploitation Risks and Calls for Regulation
A BBC documentary, OnlyFans: Inside the Machine, documented violence and intimidation by some managers, including assaults on creators. In response, Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and independent anti‑slavery commissioner Eleanor Lyons have jointly called for a parliamentary inquiry to examine trafficking, coercive control and the platform’s safeguarding mechanisms.
Future Outlook: Potential Regulatory Scrutiny and Market Shifts
If lawmakers act on the inquiry, OnlyFans could face stricter oversight, mandatory reporting of manager‑creator contracts, and enhanced verification to curb exploitation. Such measures may reshape the business model, potentially reducing the profitability of third‑party managers while prompting the platform to develop direct support tools for creators.