Recently, a new economic model has gained prominence and focus, primarily centered on the growth of the adult content market, intimacy, and digital engagement: the “Lust Economy.” Beyond adult entertainment lies an extensive range of digital content creators, influencers, and platforms profiting from universal human desires for connectivity, intimacy, and attraction. OnlyFans is a revolutionary vehicle for monetizing the creative work of people and an incubator for investors to enter its growth trail. The paper explains the concept of the Lust Economy, with further illustration of how investors can invest through publicly traded companies supporting Lust Economy models, such as adult content platforms and technologies and services that enable them.

What, after all, is the Lust Economy?

The Lust Economy is a sphere of the economy that works on the initiative of various producers of content through the Internet with an intention of commercializing influence. More commonly, this can be considered as erotic, adult, or risqué content. The term “lust” as applied here initially seems to have no relation to romantic love; however, the meaning is far more indicative of a whole other range of economic opportunities considered for those persons influenced by attraction and the emotional factor along with cyberspace.

Several of the critical elements that underpin the Lust Economy include:

• 1. Subscription Models: While several platforms, such as OnlyFans, Patreon, and Fansly, are offering creators direct monetization structures, a subscription-based framework is accessible for paying subscribers to access unique photos, videos, and live streams.
• 2. Direct Communication: Due to the availability of communication platforms such as Only Fans and other niche websites, one can reach a content creator as well as his or her subscribers by private messages, customized content, and paid chats. These levels of communication are also an additional incentive for fans to achieve a more intimate relationship.
• 3. Creator Autonomy: Creators have the right to their content, branding, and revenue streams. Unlike mainstream media, where corporations often control the content, the Lust Economy allows independent creators to thrive.
• 4. Diverse Content: The Lust Economy is not limited to only adult content. Many creators create fitness, beauty, lifestyle, and art content, focusing on delivering personalized or private experiences to their subscribers.
• 5. GLOBAL REACH:  Internet and social networking have helped creatives to expand their reach to a global scale, thus much improving the landscape for adult and suggestive markets.

Investing in Stock Companies for Lust Economy Models

For those looking to invest in the Lust Economy, there are a number of ways to get exposure to companies and services that are pushing this sector forward. Although direct investment is impossible in this case because OnlyFans is not a publicly available company, due to its privatized status, an investor will instead look toward publicly traded firms that support models of Lust Economy. Some potential companies may fall into the domains of digital content firms, firms operating in the adult entertainment area, payment-processing firms, or social media providers that empower content creators. List some suggestions regarding investment in these companies actively partaking in Lust Economy:

1. Investment in Adult Content Platforms and Related Services

The company that owns OnlyFans is a private company; however, there are a number of other companies that have gone public or are part of the larger adult content industry. In fact, many of these businesses operate on business models that rely on digital payment for streaming or subscription services, which has been a part of the Lust Economy.

• MindGeek: It is relevant to market trends because MindGeek is a private company. The company owns and operates many adult entertainment websites, like Pornhub and YouPorn. As the company can’t be directly invested in, it still comes under the industry.
• Privatized Companies Going Public: If a company like OnlyFans or its peers decides to launch an Initial Public Offering, that would be a significant investment opportunity for investors. The best way to stay updated on such news is by tracking IPOs and related news.

2. Investment in Payment Process Companies and Financial Tech Companies

The Lust Economy constitutes businesses providing pay processing and other financial services on adult content-based platforms. That way, this economy facilitates payments for creators towards subscriptions, tips, and any purchases made within the platform.

• Paypal: The online platform, PayPal (PYPL), has been very widely used among adult content creators as a medium of receiving subscription fees from the subscribers. Not necessarily targeted to the Lust Economy, this increases their earnings considerably, helping other associated platforms and channels do the same. As it is a listed public company, its shares are sold through the main stock exchange platforms, offering investment options for the interested individuals.
• Square SQ: Square is a Fintech company co-founded by Jack Dorsey, who is also well known as one of the founders of Twitter. This company has enabled internet transactions to many businesses in this category, including adult content creators. Since it is a publicly traded stock, Square is an investment into payment systems associated with the Lust Economy.

3. Investment in Social Media and Content Creation Platforms

Companies within the Lust Economy that help or promote adult content creators in their production process are also increasing digital engagement, along with providing advertising and subscription services.

Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, also owns Instagram, one of the most important networks for influencers and content creators, which millions of adult content providers use to channel followers to their websites, for example, to OnlyFans. Meta is listed on the Nasdaq.

Twitter (X) has become one of the largest platforms that allows adult content creators to build their audiences and steer them toward paid platforms. The company is currently listed on the stock exchange, making an investment in Twitter an indirect way of investing in the Lust Economy.

Snap Inc. (SNAP) owns Snapchat, a content creation business with adult and explicit content. Though Snap does not by default allow the monetization of adult content, it significantly assists in the marketing process and audience cultivation. Moreover, Snap Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

4. Invest in data and analytics.

Data and analytics firms play a critical role in understanding consumer and creator behaviors. The data points above are useful for optimizing content distribution as well as marketing strategies.

• Nielsen Holdings (NLSN) provides investors with some insight into consumer behavior, particularly in media consumption. Investors may find helpful trends in adult content consumer engagement. As a publicly traded firm, Nielsen Holdings indirectly enables investors to invest in the growth of the Lust Economy.
• Cloudflare (NET) also protects adult websites. The more creators migrate to self-owned platforms, the more the need for website security and data privacy. It is a publicly traded company that provides an opportunity to invest in digital infrastructure.

5. Growth of digital advertising.

Another way of engaging with the Lust Economy is through the investment of a business that advertises digitally. Since adult content creators post all their work throughout the internet, the success of such content providers is highly dependent on digital advertisement services like Google and YouTube.

Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) is the parent company of Google and is strategically positioned at the heart of the digital advertising space. Investing in Alphabet grants an investor access to a vast set of platforms used by creators within the Lust Economy.

Ways to Invest in These Companies

Online brokerages can be used to start investing in companies that share the values of the Lust Economy, and they provide easy access to stocks, exchange-traded funds, and more.

Robinhood: This is an app that has enabled commission-free trading of stocks. The app serves as an easy introduction for first-time investors looking to invest in companies that are traded publicly, including PayPal, Meta, and Square.

  – Robinhood

ETRADE is an online portal that gives the investor access to many research tools and resources. The portal provides the investor with a wide variety of stocks concerning the Lust Economy.

–E*Trade

Fidelity, with its vast assets and retirement accounts, allows an investor to invest in a wide variety of stocks. These include digital content sites and financial technology. 

–Fidelity

Conclusion

The Lust Economy is a relatively new, growing, and emerging sector, fueled by the success of OnlyFans and other adult-content sites.

It’s impossible to invest directly in OnlyFans at this point. There are multiple ways to get exposure to the companies and industries that constitute the Lust Economy; digital platforms, payment services, and big social media companies are among them. With investments in these entities, people can gain access to the growing ability to utilize the increasing demand for custom and personal digital content. Whether someone is a novice investor or an experienced professional, knowledge of these market opportunities will help make it possible to benefit from the growth in the Lust Economy