Kitty at work in Estonia

- Ahhhh delicious, there is a loud moan.
Followed by cheers, laughter and toasting.

A vibrator vibrates somewhere in Estonia, Norwegian Kitty gasp.

The vibrator is part of her work outfit.
Porn is now being made in the old factory premises.

Kitty is a long way from where she sat in Oslo half a year ago.
Porn is now being made in the old factory premises.

The dream of OnlyFans

Autumn 2022:

Kitty has found her self a place in a cafe in Oslo, a nice place to start the working day when you don't have a home.

Her name is not Kitty, but she calls herself that on OnlyFans.
Kitty works at a cafe in Oslo.

Every time someone walks past the table, she lowers the screen.

In some photos, she is wearing a collar and clinging to sprinklers.

In other pictures, she is cute, with mouse braids and underwear.

It is difficult to know what people are willing to pay a few hundred Swedish kroner a month to enjoy. This is about hitting a market.

She is homeless and has quit her bar job. It was a crap job anyway.

The pandemic made her, and her faithful pink companion, risk everything.

She feels free. Finally, she will try to live the way she has longed for.

There is no plan b.

Before, sex work took place in strip clubs, massage parlors and in deserted streets. Now a lot has moved behind the screen.

OnlyFans is one of the very largest digital players in this industry. A social medium that is often referred to in Norwegian newspapers as a place where young people rake in money for scantily clad pictures.

The idea behind OnlyFans is simple: Someone creates content that they post on their profile, they decide the price themselves. Others pay a monthly fee to view the content. The content creators keep 80 percent, OnlyFans takes the rest.

A kind of adult YouTube that you have to pay for, or a digital peep show.

Internationally, the platform is mostly described as a place for porn. The age limit is 18 years, and OnlyFans themselves write that they are also "a home for adult and glamor models".

The owner of OnlyFans, who has a background as a porn entrepreneur, earns huge sums. According to Bloomberg, Leonid Radvinsky took out over NOK 5 billion in dividends in 2021 and 2022. The company is described as one of the most profitable new British technology companies in recent years.

We have followed Norwegian Kitty to see if OnlyFans is as profitable for her as the headlines suggest.

Dreamed about stripping

Kitty has been stressed and anxious for as long as she can remember, she thinks she was born that way.

The fact that primary school was a bad place didn't make it any better. The weird little girl who was into witches and the occult was bullied.

It does something to a child to have proofing varnish smeared all over their face.

The solution at the time was to take up as little space as possible. It has changed.

At first the plan was to become a witch, model or pop star, but already in the late teens the dream of stripping appeared.

She began to hang out in underground circles with a non-traditional view of sexuality. Kink and fetish, she calls it herself.

It was at the clubs and nachspielorgies that she found people she liked and felt comfortable with. She was accepted as she was.

- It costs me less to be in such situations than in normal settings where I constantly have to be careful with what I say, says Kitty.

Self-confidence increased, and in her late 20s she took the step up on stage with music and eventually a burlesque show. She was looking for places where she could feel free and express herself.

Because everyday life with a physically exhausting job as a hairdresser and bartender, stress and money problems, had begun to eat away at the psyche.

She created an OnlyFans account, just to check it out.

When the pandemic came, and everything got worse, the thought appeared for the first time: Could the urge to show off, and the non-traditional view of sexuality, turn into a job?
Exploded during the pandemic

Kitty is not the only one who has started dreaming of a life on OnlyFans in recent years.

Use exploded during the pandemic. Suddenly millions of paying people were sitting in front of the screen, robbed of the opportunity to spend their entertainment money on partying and fun.

At the same time, economic uncertainty led to young people like Kitty flocking to the site in the hope of earning a little extra.

OnlyFans itself tells little about its users. But today they claim that there are 220 million profiles on the site and that over 3 million of them post content.
Sexual educational journey

February 2022 OnlyFans was still something Kitty just tinkered with in her spare time. While the feeling that everyday life wore her out grew. She describes life as dark.

- I stood several nights by Akerselva after work and wondered if I should just jump.

Deep down, she realized that was not the solution. But as summer approached, something had to happen. She needed a change.

The contract on the apartment had expired. And after living on the couch with friends for a couple of months, she went to Berlin. The plan was to travel around for three weeks. It was the start of a journey around Europe and Africa.

In the course of a couple of months, she lived in a friend's living room in Amsterdam, with a friend in Spain, in a hotel in Morocco, with a new acquaintance in Austria and in an old factory premises a friend had bought in the Czech countryside.

But in addition to museums and historic buildings, sexuality and OnlyFans were a big part of the trip.

Because the production of videos took off, and she loved it. Scenes were shot with old friends and new acquaintances on the road.

Kitty's niche was domination, kink and fetish. It became her corner of an OnlyFans world that offers absolutely everything you can imagine, and a good deal you hopefully couldn't imagine.

With a global digital world as a market, Kitty does not need so many Norwegian customers to get it going. 50 followers in Norway, 70 in Sweden, 7,000 in India and suddenly the money is there. In theory at least.

Kitty becomes "sexy lady on the internet"

When the summer of 2022 is over, and we are back at the cafe table in Oslo, the OnlyFans account still hasn't given Kitty much of an income. And she needs money.

She has decided to invest full-time in a life of OnlyFans and porn.

- Yes, now I officially work with porn, ass.

She wants to be her own boss and her own product as "Sexy Lady on the Internet".

She wants the freedom to travel, create her own things and not be bound to a chaotic everyday life in which she did not feel at home.

- I refuse to go back to my old life, she says.

She has her life with her in a few bags. And it's practical. For the next stop is a webcam house in Estonia, where sexualized content is streamed around the clock. The plan is to expand the menu on the OnlyFans account there. It fits perfectly.

- I am homeless and need a place to live, she laughs.

She waves, we agree that we will keep in touch to see if this is what it takes to be able to make a living from OnlyFans.

In recent months, we have followed several different Norwegian OnlyFans accounts, in order to get us a picture of what is on offer. The variety is almost endless, but few do as Kitty does, setting everything on a completely new life.

The most common thing is to film yourself in the bedroom as a kind of hobby. The start is usually cautious, but that often changes quickly.

Åse is the "girl next door"

In a small place in Bygde-Norge, Åse closes the bedroom door and draws the curtains. This is where she lies with her boyfriend.

It is the middle of the day, most people are at work, but Åse is on sick leave. She switches on the lamp and presses record on her mobile phone. Afterwards, she gets paid to share with others on OnlyFans.

Outside the garage is a nice car, a children's bicycle and a pair of short cross-country skis leaning against the wall.

She doesn't want the children to be confronted with mum being on OnlyFans. That is why she is anonymous here.

Åse is the "girl next door".

- The neighbor should have known what was going on behind the curtain here, she laughs.

She really doesn't care what people in the village think about what she does. She has an atypical sexual CV and doesn't think monogamy is for everyone.

Although she doesn't see herself as a porn actress exactly, she understands that it is porn she makes. It doesn't make her horny, but she likes it.

Or at least the money it gives. It works as a secret part-time job.

Today, around 10 people know what Åse does, she believes.

- It's a bit strange to go to the shop and not quite know if anyone has seen your mouse.

Recently, she found out that an acquaintance is following her account, without her realizing it. And when she was at a concert, a strange man came over with a beer. He was an OnlyFans follower which would be nice.

The secret is vulnerable.

- There is always a balance between the risk of being exposed, against the life I can give the children because of the money.

- Do you want to take off your panties?

She herself has baggage related to abuse at a young age, and already in her teens Åse realized that there was money in being naked on the internet.

Her body was something she wasn't proud of for a long time.

It didn't help that she has seen herself as overweight for much of her adult life. But a couple of years ago, she finally got her weight under control, and her process of reclaiming her body was underway.

- It was my turn to shine, she says.

Åse created an Instagram account for those who are extra keen on their feet. One thing led to another, and when the pandemic hit, she created an OnlyFans account.

- That someone wants to pay money to see exactly my body feels good. Finding which images sell is a big part of the job.


For a long time she had an account with only challenging underwear photos. It's safe enough if you're just looking for some extra pocket money. But if you want to earn more, you have to make slightly more serious cases, according to Åse.

- If you're going to do this, you have to be mentally ready for where your limits are. Do you want to take off your panties?

She and her boyfriend eventually started having sex while filming.

And recently, they have also let acquaintances who have expressed their interest in participating in the videos. Some she has sex with, others sit and watch.

The offer must be expanded to maintain followers and income.

And if someone who wants to pay more has special wishes, it can be ordered. Åse can have sex the way she is asked, film it and send it directly to whoever pays extra.
OnlyFans doesn't require a lot of equipment.

It is the customized videos that are the most profitable. Gaming related stuff is popular.

Because people want the personal, and they want to chat. Some say they fall in love, think they have something very special. They don't have that. Åse and her boyfriend share the work of answering the followers.

- There are many horny men who chat with my girlfriend, she laughs.

But even though she is constantly expanding the menu, she still does not earn more than what is usual from a small part-time job.

Several people have asked for things that are out of the question for Åse, such as peeing on people.

Another limit she is not so sure about: She is asked daily if she is willing to sell sex.

- If I pick up the mobile phone now, there is certainly someone who has asked to meet. In principle, this is difficult, she says.

It depends on so much: Is there someone she can run into in her everyday life, how will it be carried out and how confident is she in the person she will meet?

Åse has concluded that she is open to it, if there is only an offer that is good enough. Several thousand for one evening is a lot of money.
Sale of sex and drug abuse

The fact that paying customers keep coming up with new and more time-consuming requests is something many who create content on OnlyFans have to deal with. After all, they depend on someone wanting to pay for exactly what they make.

There are several examples of Norwegian celebrities who offer uncensored pornographic material.

It becomes more difficult when we start looking at what more unknown profiles are willing to do to get paying customers.

Several obviously young girls, who themselves claim to be teenagers, offer sex videos.

There is also a good selection of very rough porn. And telephone numbers are shared, physical sex is offered and meeting places are suggested.

We also find examples of people with obvious drug problems. Offers of sexual services and descriptions of drug use come interchangeably.

It is easy to think that here someone pays to follow someone who is not well, for a hundred bucks or two a month.
More than just porn?

When celebrities like Cardi B and Bella Thorne advertise their presence on the platform, it leads to young people following their example and starting OnlyFans, research shows.

How many of these end up making porn, OnlyFans will not answer. They don't like to categorize people and content, they have said before. An answer that forces us to examine what we find ourselves.

And the first impression is that content is created about everyday things such as cooking, exercise or mixing drinks. But if you look at the profile pictures, you discover that sexually charged material is not many clicks away.
At first glance, it might seem like these women are mixing drinks.

In August 2021, OnlyFans seemed to do something about this, when they announced that they were going to ban sexual content. The background was pressure from financial partners who no longer wanted to be associated with the platform.

But after a few days, during which sex workers flocked to other platforms, OnlyFans changed their minds. The rationale was that "OnlyFans stands for inclusion, and we will continue to be a home for all creators".
Home is a webcam house in Estonia

- Ahhh yeah, again there is a loud moan.

It's almost Easter and vibrators are vibrating in Estonia.
Kitty in the foreground. Behind her there is an orgasm competition.

- I was mildly nervous when I stood there at the airport on the first day, says Kitty.

Although she is only about an hour's flight from where she was sitting in a cafe in Oslo, much is different.

Originally, railway tracks were made here. A little while ago there was a concert stage.

Today, porn is made, and smells strongly of detergent and incense. There are new times.

Those who pay for the vibration are sitting behind a screen somewhere in the world.
Cameras throughout the house.

And follows through the cameras hanging around the room.
The audience is present through a screen.

Communication takes place on a large screen in the middle of the room.
The house is reminiscent of BigBrother

The house is reminiscent of Big Brother, or a streaming house.
Kitty lives her whole life in the house.

Where Kitty and ten others live, eat, work and exercise.

Kitty quickly discovered that it was becoming too difficult to keep the OnlyFans account up to date in the midst of all this. It is demanding to live in a place that is filmed around the clock.

Most people are here for a short period before moving on, but Kitty has been here for six months. She is the veteran of the house. The only one with its own room.

Kitty fixes her hair before the theme night in the streaming house.

- I don't have to stress about everything, like the cursed Norwegian electricity price. For me, it has been nice to be able to hide a little. We have our four walls. Here I feel safe and well and can relax. I feel good in the bubble. At least right now.

The owners of the house provide marketing, order food and, according to Kitty, take good care of those who live there.

They are rust tested and every Sunday one of the rooms is converted into a therapy room. With a direct line to an organization in the US that offers conversational help to sex workers.

But the reason she has stayed there for so long is the other people who live there. On OnlyFans she is left to herself, here she is surrounded by people like her.

- For me, it's about love. And I'm happy with them.

They come from Spain, Italy, Russia, the USA, Wales, Estonia and Kitty from Norway.

Their names are on the laundry list on the wall. Everyone has a day. It can be reminiscent of a collective, or a community college.

But not so much.
Kitty's cats for the evening

Kitty's cats tonight Noa and Lillith.
Lillith has saved enough to buy a house.

Lillith is in a great mood.
Lillith finally has a home for her and her son.

She is 27 years old and has today finally bought a house for herself and her son back home in Spain.

- She has worked so hard for it, says Kitty.

Lillith has been a single mother since she was 19. It's been a lot of shit.

- People can be incredibly ugly if they know you are a sex worker. There are many in here who have had bad experiences with men, and have a lot of baggage, Kitty says seriously.

Kitty herself does not get rich from being "Sexy Lady on the Internet".

She gets some money just for being in the house. But just like on OnlyFans, a lot depends on what someone out there is willing to pay her for. It's still difficult.

- Some people think it's stupid to jump on a dildo on the table. It's not necessarily my thing. But it's cool that they do, and I can film well, she laughs.
Kitty plays pool

Naked on the internet for NOK 1,500 a month

OnlyFans markets itself by giving the content creators the opportunity to earn money themselves, without having to share with backers and porn producers.

It can work well for those who are already celebrities, or the few who have made a name for themselves on the platform.

How much all those who do not appear on the newspaper front pages earn, OnlyFans will not answer.

But according to estimates made by technology blogger Tom Hollands, a typical monthly salary for an OnlyFans account can be around NOK 1,500.

To create content that is mostly porn on the internet.

What we know for sure is that the platform offers little marketing and is not searchable. This forces the content creators to operate and market their account themselves, without help or payment.
- It's a crap platform

One year after Kitty quit her job and left, the dream of living off OnlyFan is dead.

- It's a crap platform, quite simply. No one who has been in this business for a while likes it.

The reason is simple: the only thing they offer is to run away with the profit, she believes. The content creator stands alone and it is difficult.

- Being "Sexy lady on the internet" is not something I was born good at. It is something I have had to work hard for. It's been a hell of a job.
Kitty is getting ready for the theme night

If you want to make money, a lot is required, she sighs. Finding a niche, deciding on styling and make-up, setting up plans, arranging logistics, editing and marketing yourself. You are responsible for everything down to the smallest detail.

- You will feel inept, you will feel that you are not good enough. Many times. Enough times I've felt that I'm not hot enough.

And when you are the product, it can be relentless.
Breakfast: Yoghurt and meatloaf.

- Good morning Hollow Joe, says Kitty to the screen.

He is one of the regulars.

Kitty has already chatted that today there will be both a shower and an orgasm competition later in the evening.

- Will there be squirting too, asks another.
Kitty makes herself a cup of tea. But first she must have breakfast. Kitty eats a yogurt.

Hollow Joe eats meat and potatoes, he says on the screen.

- And a fat meat sword, he adds.
Kitty is eating breakfast.

Soon after, he apologizes for being so vulgar early in the morning.

The working day is in progress from when they get up until they go to bed.
Kitty can retreat.


Kitty chats with Trent from the UK. One of the regulars.
It vibrates but the phone is silent.

Suddenly she sputters. Trent has spent some money on her vibrator.
It is Trent, someone she knows, who is there.

Perfect timing, she laughs and raises a middle finger to the camera.

She doesn't know him personally, and doesn't even know how old he is. But they talk a lot together. And Kitty knows a lot about the problems he has in life.



Later in the evening, a message comes on the big screen from Trent.

Trent: I just want to thank Kitty for everything she has done for me these past few months. Without her kind soul and wonderful personality, I'm not sure I would have been here every day. Kitty is the best person to talk to when I need it.

Kitty's urge for change ended up in a webcam house in Estonia, at least until the summer. After that it's over, this is not where she wants to end up.

Living a life with vibrations and cameras broadcasting around the clock is hard, and far from the dream of a free life.

But even though she was never able to make a living from OnlyFans, she has stayed true to the boundaries she set for herself. For example, nothing that sexualizes family or childhood.

- I have received many requests for escort services. Many people think that this is something they can buy, but they are wrong.

Kitty has managed to create her own job and everyday life. The illusion of an OnlyFans life with easy money and short working days, she can confirm is not true.