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The Finance Base
Aylo

Who Bought Pornhub? MindGeek’s Sale to Ethical Capital Partners

ECP acquired MindGeek, then Pornhub’s parent, in March 2023. The sale price was not disclosed; MindGeek changed its name to Aylo later that year.

By TheFinanceBase Team 2 min read
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Ethical Capital Partners (ECP), a private equity firm, announced on March 16, 2023, that it had acquired MindGeek, then the owner of Pornhub and several other adult entertainment properties. The sale price and other terms were not disclosed. MindGeek changed its name to Aylo in August 2023, so Pornhub’s current parent is Aylo, formerly MindGeek.

Who bought Pornhub, and when?

ECP announced the acquisition of MindGeek on March 16, 2023. MindGeek owned Pornhub as well as YouPorn, Redtube, Brazzers, Men.com, Sean Cody, Trans Angels and Nutaku, among other properties, according to ECP’s acquisition announcement.

ECP described itself as a private equity firm. Its announcement said the transaction terms were private and would not be disclosed, so there is no confirmed sale price in that announcement.

How much did the sale cost?

The purchase price was not made public in ECP’s announcement. The reviewed official announcements do not establish a deal value, financing details or beneficial ownership information. Any specific figure presented as the price would go beyond what those sources disclosed.

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Why is MindGeek now called Aylo?

On August 17, 2023, MindGeek announced that it was changing its corporate name to Aylo. The company described the rebrand as a fresh start and said it reflected a renewed commitment to innovation, diverse and inclusive adult content, trust and safety. Those were Aylo’s stated aims, not independent findings about the company’s performance. Aylo’s announcement also said it was under ECP ownership and had been purchased by ECP in March. See Aylo’s rebrand announcement.

What did ECP say it planned to do?

In announcing the acquisition, ECP said it planned to invest in safety technologies, content companies, technology and intellectual property, and audience engagement. These were the buyer’s announced intentions; the announcement did not establish that those investments later produced particular results.

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In a September 27, 2023 report, ECP said it had consulted content creators, victim advocacy groups, law enforcement, civil society partners, regulators, academics, banking institutions and payment processors. ECP characterized the report as a basis for refining user experience, creator relations and brand reputation. See ECP’s “What We Heard” report.

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What accountability action followed the sale?

The acquisition and a later U.S. Department of Justice agreement are separate events. On December 21, 2023, DOJ announced that Aylo Holdings S.A.R.L., formerly MindGeek S.A.R.L., had entered a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve a charge involving unlawful monetary transactions with proceeds of sex trafficking. DOJ said Aylo admitted receiving money it knew or should have known came from the trafficking operations of the GirlsDoPorn operators, and described the company’s handling of removal requests and related content. Read DOJ’s announcement of the agreement for its account.

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Under the 2023 agreement, DOJ said Aylo agreed to pay $1,844,952.83 to the United States, make additional payments to eligible victims and submit to an independent monitor for three years. DOJ said the monitor would assess due diligence, screening and monitoring, resources for responding to takedown requests, and disclosures to law enforcement. These are terms of the agreement; the agreement should not be read as having caused or fixed the underlying events.

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