Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of the adult content platform OnlyFans, has died at the age of 43.

“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Leo Radvinsky. He left peacefully after a long battle with cancer,” the company said in a statement, while his family requested privacy during this difficult time.

According to Bloomberg, Radvinsky acquired a majority stake in the platform in 2018 and helped transform it into one of the most influential digital business models in the adult content industry, allowing creators to charge users directly for access to their material.

His death raises questions about the future ownership of the platform, which is one of the most controversial user-driven content services since the rise of Facebook. OnlyFans was founded in 2016 by British entrepreneur Guy Stokely and his son Tim Stokely, gaining widespread popularity due to hosting adult content that is not allowed on other social networks.

The platform saw significant growth during the pandemic. Recently, Radvinsky had been in negotiations to sell a 60% stake in the company, in a deal that valued the platform at around $5.5 billion.

According to reports, a San Francisco-based investment firm had begun talks to lead an offer combining equity and approximately $2 billion in debt. By February, discussions were still in the early stages.