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Only fans is one of the most popular web sites that does just that, selling access to erotic content. In two thousand 19 there were about a hundred and 20 thousand people creating content on only fans. By the end of 20 20, there were well over a million,. A massive boost driven in part by people who found themselves out of work during the pen amicthey saw only fans as a way to help make ends meet.

Ezra Marcus takes a deep dive into the world of OnlyFans and self-described e-pimps, and untangles the vast web of models, agencies and “chatters” (the people who often act as the OnlyFans models in private messages with the customers) that support these lucrative businesses.

The article explores how e-pimps can help turn a seemingly simple exchange of “dollars for sexts” into a transaction that extends across layers of third-party intermediaries.

With the help of e-pimps, even the most impersonal of transactions are fine-tuned to feel personal. As Mr. Marcus discovers: “That OnlyFans creator you’re DMing? It’s probably a marketing ghostwriter impersonating a woman.”

When it comes to OnlyFans and its legions of e-pimps, deceit and desire work together closely.

This story was written by Ezra Marcus and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.