Brands
Weekend Unwind with Shimmers Cosmetics’ Sandeep Gidwani
Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind—a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.
In this week’s session, we have Shimmers Cosmetics Pvt Ltd director Sandeep Gidwani.
Without further ado here it goes…
Your mantra for life:
“Courage to Risk, Wisdom to Pivot, Success to Claim.”
A book you are currently reading or plan to read
“Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek
Your fitness mantra
Fitness is not about being better than someone else, it’s about being better than you used to be.
Your comfort food
Sushi
A quote or philosophy that keeps you going when the chips are down
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford
Your guilty pleasure
Sneaking spoonful’s of sweets as I have a sweet tooth
The last time you tried something new
Took up swimming as a sport.
A lesson you learned the hard way
The only person you can depend on to motivate you is YOU.
What gets you excited about life
Embarking on new adventures, whether it’s trying a new sport, exploring a new hobby, or taking up a new challenge.
What’s on top of your bucket list
Scuba Diving
If you could give on piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Don’t underestimate the importance of resilience and perseverance in overcoming challenges and setbacks.
One thing you would most like to change about the world
Reduce inequality and create more opportunities for economic empowerment and upward mobility.
An activity that keeps you motivated and charged during tough times
Being around my kids and realizing that I have come this far for them and will make through anything for them.
What lifts your spirits when life gets you down
Spending quality time with loved ones and getting support from family and friends.
Your go-to stress buster
Play-station with my son.
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.
