YouTuber Zara Dar Drops PhD to Become OnlyFans Model, Adult Content Creator
Zara Dar, a prominent YouTuber formerly celebrated for championing women in science and technology, has made the bold decision to abandon her PhD programme in favour of a career as an OnlyFans model and to create adult content.
In a candid YouTube video titled “PhD Dropout to OnlyFans Model”, Zara Dar explained her rationale, describing the move as a significant life gamble and a departure from the traditional path she had once envisioned.
Zara Dar, who boasts over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, initially gained prominence with her tutorials on machine learning and neural networks. However, she revealed that while she had spent years in graduate school and could see herself flourishing in academia, she ultimately decided against continuing down that road.
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OnlyFans, a London-based subscription platform, allows creators to monetise content through subscriptions, tips, and pay-per-view. While it is widely known for hosting adult content, including pornography, the platform also supports sportspersons, fitness experts, musicians, celebrities and other creators. Creators retain 80% of earnings, with an average annual income of $1,300, as per reports.
Reflecting on her decision, Zara Dar noted that the conventional academic path, which includes becoming a professor and mentoring students, comes with notable sacrifices. She remarked, “People whose lifestyles I thought I envied are tied to someone else’s vision. They’ll spend their lives working for a company and doing things they don’t necessarily enjoy,” she said. She added that such individuals often lack recognition for their contributions and live with the constant pressure of financial insecurity.
Famous YouTuber Zara Dar has quit her PhD and become an OnlyFans Content Creator Full Time.
She used to make videos about Neural Networks, Machine Learning and other Tech Stuff, now she will be making content of a different genre.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/DlC3kTeB0e
— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) December 22, 2024
Zara Dar described her desire to break free from the constraints of institutional expectations and corporate obligations. By stepping away from academia, she expressed a commitment to pursuing topics that genuinely interest her without being dictated by external priorities, such as funding agency demands.
“Moving on to doing OnlyFans and content creation full-time, it’s not just a career choice; it feels kind of like a gamble on the direction of my entire life,” she said in her video. Zara Dar also highlighted the financial success she has already achieved through this unconventional route.
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As a side venture during her PhD studies, she began creating content on OnlyFans, a subscription-based platform. Her efforts yielded significant financial rewards, amounting to $1 million, which she used to pay off her family’s mortgage and purchase a car. “Thankfully, I avoided taking out any student loans. Now, I have an investment portfolio and am planning to buy my own house,” she explained, emphasising how this decision has afforded her newfound financial independence.
Zara Dar’s video also shed light on her critique of the academic lifestyle in the United States, particularly the limited earning potential and administrative burdens faced by professors. She highlighted that most American professors earn around $100,000 annually, with much of their time consumed by writing grant proposals rather than conducting research. “This is not the life I envisioned for myself,” she stated firmly.
The YouTuber’s announcement has sparked widespread discussion online, with her video accumulating nearly one million views on X (formerly Twitter). Viewers have expressed a mix of astonishment and admiration for her decision, with many noting the stark contrast between the financial rewards of a career in adult content creation and traditional professions.
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As she embarks on this new chapter, Zara Dar remains resolute in her belief that the freedom and financial stability she has gained far outweigh the sacrifices of leaving academia behind. “All of these achievements are just reminders of the tangible rewards of carving my own path and the freedom that comes with it,” she affirmed.
Launched in 2016, OnlyFans gained immense popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, boasting over three million creators and 220 million users as of May 2023. It introduced OFTV, a safe-for-work streaming platform, in 2021.
Despite its success, the platform has faced criticism over handling child sexual abuse material, prompting a brief ban on explicit content in 2021, later reversed following user backlash.
With revenues of $932 million in 2021, OnlyFans is part of the growing creator economy, earning accolades like inclusion in Time’s 100 Most Influential Companies. It is owned by Fenix International and led by CEO Keily Blair.
