In Medellín, professional agencies now manage OnlyFans creators the way talent firms manage actors — organizing shoots, running marketing, handling fan communication. The platform has outgrown its side-hustle reputation and become a serious economic force in Latin America.
The numbers confirm it. OnlyFans posted $7.22 billion in global gross revenue for 2024, with Latin America estimated at nearly 10 percent of traffic. Mexico ranks in the global top five behind the U.S. and UK, while Colombia’s creator economy is growing fast and professionalizing faster.
The growth is inseparable from economics. Where inflation erodes purchasing power, young people want to earn in dollars. The median creator takes home $150 to $180 a month after fees — modest globally, but a real boost over minimum wage across much of Latin America.
Mobile habits accelerate the trend — over 91 percent of access in Mexico and 89 percent in Brazil is on phones, with Instagram and X as funnels. But the platform’s reliance on credit cards still excludes the large unbanked population.
Governments face uncomfortable questions about taxing digital income that barely existed five years ago and protecting minors. OnlyFans has introduced stricter verification and AI-based age checks in Brazil and Chile.
For those who see the creator economy as empowerment, Latin America is a case study in digital self-sufficiency beating broken labor markets. For those who see exploitation risks and regulatory gaps, it is a cautionary tale. Both sides have a point — which is why the region’s OnlyFans boom deserves more serious attention than it gets.