MindGeek, the parent of Pornhub, the world’s biggest porn site, and other adult entertainment platforms, was acquired by a Canadian private equity firm called Ethical Capital Partners, or ECP, for an undisclosed amount.
ECP was launched in 2022 in Montreal. Its website says it good at dealing with problem companies, seeking out tech-focused investment and advisory opportunities “in industries that require principled ethical leadership…have legal and regulatory complexity and that put a value on transparency and accountability.”
Pornhub, founded in 2007, is a giant adult entertainment community with over 76 million monthly active registered members and over 130 million adults visiting the site daily. The deal announcement said it features “the best selection of award-winning performers, the most extensive collection of high-quality videos, and a safe, user-friendly experience for viewers.” It’s been plagued by scandals and is the subject of Netflix documentary Money Shot: The Pornhub Story by Suzanne Hillinger, produced by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, which hit the streamer yesterday.
“With core values of consent, freedom of sexual expression, authenticity, originality, and diversity at the heart of Pornhub’s mission, the platform is a safe space for verified content creators and the entire adult entertainment community.”
MindGeek’s other assets include YouPorn, Redtube, Brazzers, Men.com, Sean Cody, Trans Angels and Nutaku.
“With the support of ECP, MindGeek will further its research and adoption of the latest and best available online safety protocols to ensure that it remains a world-class leader in trust and safety and its platforms are inclusive, sex positive spaces for adults.”
“We are confident that the MindGeek team and all MindGeek platforms operate with trust and safety at the forefront of everything they do. We will be engaging with stakeholders, including content creators, governments and industry to address the misalignment between how MindGeek operates and what the public perceives about this industry and these platforms. We will work with the team to ensure their commitment to trust and safety is communicated clearly with all stakeholders and the public,” said one of ECP’s founding partners Sarah Bain.
In late 2020, NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof accused MindGeek of sex-trafficking, child pornography and rape videos. Visa and Mastercard suspended its credit card services for the site, which disabled millions of accounts and moved to ban unverified uploads.
