Brands
Arigold enters kids market with high-end expertise
MUMBAI: AA Enterprises, one of the leading dealers of leather goods, has introduced its promising shoe brand Arigold. At the event, few of its premium products were presented to the star cast of the film Blue Mountains. The brand plans to make significant strides into kids’ footwear segment by offering products that blends with their lifestyle.
The design of Arigold shoes is noticeably different to most established and popular kids shoe brands, offering a generous, yet lightweight sole with increased cushioning, stability and grip, a deviation from the standard design trend of minimalist sole.
Commenting on the unveiling, AA Enterprises director Ricky Banbah said, “Arigold is one of many initiatives we’re undertaking to elevate the overall footwear shopping experience for kids and teens. For the young crowd, this is indeed fantastic news as they have the chance to get a full spectrum of interesting products to choose from.”
Arigold’s design studio works on the philosophy to uphold ease, grace and craftsmanship for each design it creates. With its high end expertise and global methods of delivering comfort, the brand aims to be one of the most preferred brands in leather shoe category.
“This in itself is the beginning towards establishing a prominent name in the market. With the Indian footwear industry estimated to expand at a CAGR of 15 per cent from 2015 to 2020, Arigold aims to secure a strong position in the leather shoe category,” added Banbah.
Founded with the motive to embellish the lifestyle of people, the brand name is synonymous with bright and vivid element outshining to adorn its surroundings.The brand imbibes the belief of ‘Push Limits, Fuel Passion, Eat Miles and Reach Goals’. With its endeavor to deliver sustained comfort, it plans to expand its product portfolio for differential needs in the days to come.
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
