Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Harry Gestetner, co-founder and co-CEO of Fanfix, is determined to dispel any misconceptions about his living arrangements with his parents. In an exclusive interview with Insider conducted over Zoom, Gestetner clarified that while he was temporarily staying at his parents’ house in Los Angeles after a family dinner, he had indeed moved out. The 22-year-old’s recent success is far from dependent on parental support, as he became a millionaire in the previous year following the sale of his company for an undisclosed eight-figure sum, estimated to be around $65 million according to Crunchbase.

Gestetner’s brainchild, Fanfix, is a Gen Z-centric, TikTok-first platform co-founded in 2020. The innovative platform enables social media creators and influencers to monetize their fan bases by offering exclusive monthly paid subscriptions for various content, including behind-the-scenes vlogs, direct messages (DMs), and unpublished TikTok drafts. Unlike its adult-oriented counterpart, OnlyFans, Fanfix distinguishes itself by strictly prohibiting explicit content. This key distinction enables Gen Z influencers, who desire to generate income from their fans while avoiding any association with explicit material, to find a lucrative alternative. To join Fanfix, creators must have a minimum of 10,000 followers across their social media profiles.

Gestetner expressed his belief that many prominent creators on OnlyFans are not primarily engaged in nudity, but their association with explicit content inhibits them from securing lucrative brand deals. Avi Gandhi, founder of Partner with Creators and former head of creator partnerships at Patreon, echoed this sentiment, explaining that companies engaging in brand marketing are hesitant to partner with OnlyFans creators due to the platform’s associated brand image.

The sale of Fanfix to SuperOrdinary, a “brand accelerator” specializing in marketing through influencer partnerships, has been regarded as a significant development, signifying the continued growth of the creator economy. In April, Fanfix announced having over 10 million users and projected a total payout of $50 million to its 3,000 creators by year-end. According to data seen by TechCrunch, creators on the platform earn an average annual income of $70,000.

While Gestetner openly criticizes competitors such as Patreon and OnlyFans, describing the former as an outdated, desktop-oriented platform catering to older generations and the latter as a porn site with a strong stigma, Fanfix is still relatively small compared to OnlyFans. The latter claimed to have 180 million registered users in 2021, which is nearly 18 times the current user base of Fanfix.

Born into a family of entrepreneurial background and wealth, Gestetner draws inspiration from his great-great grandfather, David Gestetner, who invented an early photocopying machine in 1879. Furthermore, his father, Daniel, was recognized as one of the UK’s wealthiest young entrepreneurs in 2000. Harry Gestetner’s academic journey took him from London to Los Angeles, where he attended the prestigious Highgate School before continuing his studies at Harvard-Westlake School, where he met his Fanfix co-founder, Simon Pompan.

During the pandemic, while still in college, Gestetner and Pompan raised $1.3 million in venture capital to establish Fanfix. The platform gained further traction when former Vine star Cameron Dallas joined as a co-founder, enhancing its visibility.

While Fanfix strictly defines nudity and refrains from venturing into explicit areas, some popular creators on the platform push the boundaries, sharing content that may not be safe for work. Nevertheless, many creators find Fanfix appealing due to the absence