When Isla Moon set up an OnlyFans page to help her make ends meet, she didn't expect it to blow up the way it did.
Isla was an undergraduate student studying psychology and neuroscience, and worked as a part-time lab coordinator and research assistant during her studies.
While a budding scientist with the hopes of doing a PhD, her lab job didn't pay well and Isla knew she needed to bring in another source of income to stay afloat.
Advert
She was also in $10,000 worth of student debt.
Speaking to UNILAD, Isla, from Canada, explained: "I had to do my lab job while finishing my undergrad. Plus I had another job because I need to live.
"Then I started my OnlyFans because life was not sustainable financially."
Advert
Also sharing content to Instagram and TikTok, Isla then had what she described as a 'life-changing two days'.
"I was doing a bit of TikTok here and [the money] was coming in a little bit here and there - not enough to make me change career paths," she recalled.
"Then on May 16 on 2021 I went viral with one TikTok and it just fully blew up. In the span of two days, I may my yearly income from my lab position."
Isla had been making just $11-$12,000 a year at the lab.
Advert
But since making the move to OnlyFans, she raked in a staggering $5 million in 2023; more than 400 times the amount of her old salary.
She also boasts 195,000 followers on Instagram, 1.7 million on TikTok and over 265,000 OnlyFans subscribers.
In the wake of her ongoing success, Isla says it's still not properly sunk in for her.
Advert
She told us: "It sounds bad saying it, but it just goes over my head. I keep telling myself that when I'm 60 I'm going to realize just how crazy this is.
"It hasn't kicked in yet."
And Isla has big plans for the money she's made so far.
"I see OnlyFans as capital for me to create other businesses," she explained. "My 2024 resolution is to create more businesses and make that kind of money work for me."
Advert
She'll continue to create OnlyFans content, however - and has had some unusual requests on the internet content subscription service.
When asked what some of the strangest queries she's had, Isla said: "There was one guy who was asking for bug stomping. Basically he wanted me to get some big bugs and stomp on them.
"I'm not kink shaming, but it's just not my thing."
Advert
Isla didn't say yes to the request.
"Then there's another one where I also didn't say yes to because I didn't feel like it," she continued.
"I was asked to eat a pile of pancakes and record myself eating and like showing my stomach swelling."
Each to their own...
Niamh Shackleton