I grew up on food stamps but now make £480k a YEAR at just 19 – I paid off my mum’s debt & bought her a new house
A YOUNG woman has revealed how she turned her and her family's lives around after serving on food stamps as a child.
Summer Iris, used to work long hours as a waitress and was barely making ends meet until she joined OnlyFans.
Now the 19-year-old is making £480,000 a year on OnlyFans – having recently paid off her mum’s debt and bought her a house.
In an effort to earn quick money to fund a neuroscience degree, she signed up to OnlyFans – but hadn’t expected her account to take off the way it did.
Summer is currently living in an OnlyFans mansion known as the ‘Bop House’ with seven other adult models.
The 19-year-old’s side hustle is so successful that she has now decided to put her plans to become a doctor on hold and instead embark on a whole new journey.
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Helping Hand
And the money has also given her a level of security she’s never experienced before – with Summer more than happy to share the wealth.
"My parents worked really hard but didn't have much to show for it,” said Summer, who boasts 877,000 followers on her Instagram page, @imsummerxiris.
"We grew up on food stamps and if I got clothes, they would be hand-me-downs from an older relative.
“I got into OnlyFans to make enough money to support my family and pay for my degree.
“Being able to now earn this much money is crazy. When I paid off my mum’s debt, she cried.
“I surprised her with the news for Christmas. I’ve also bought her a new house and I’m taking her on a Caribbean cruise soon. She has never travelled outside of the US, so I’m really excited about our upcoming trip.
"The future plan is to put my entire family in better homes and safer areas. Getting to live the way that I'm living now and to be able to use this money on my loved ones feels amazing.”
Cashing In
Summer, who is from North Carolina, joined OnlyFans just one year ago. As well as clearing her mum’s £4,000 debt and buying her a £240,000 three-bed property, Summer also plans to thank her dad for his support by paying for his medical insurance.
He’s recently been unwell and she wants him to have the best care possible. Although the financial benefits are evident, she admits that her parents aren’t “thrilled” at her new career choice.
They found out about it when they stumbled across Summer’s TikTok account, where she’d been posting adult photos.
She said: "I thought it was kind of just a small thing I would do on the side. I just wanted to get in, make some good money so I could pay for school and then get out.
“I didn't expect this to actually become a career. My parents aren’t super happy about it.
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a subscription content service based in London.
As of 2023, it is thought to have more than 220million registered users and over three million content creators.
Sex workers charge monthly fees for access to pictures, videos and more.
While popular for porn, the site isn't exclusively designed with that in mind - anyone who wants to build up a fan base and charge them for it can set one up.
Celebs like Katie Price and Kerry Katona are popular personalities on the platform.
"Whether you’re uploading tutorials, tips, behind-the-scenes footage or just endless selfies, a lot of your followers would be willing to pay for them," the company states.
For every subscription that's sold to a viewer, performers get 80 per cent of the cash while OnlyFans gets the rest.
It isn’t limited to adult content, as it has become popular with physical fitness experts and musicians.
“My dad feels like I've taken a shortcut for easy money and I completely understand that perspective. But they're still here for me, love and support me.
“They saw more potential in my education so they're a little disappointed that I'm not furthering with that and that I'm doing this instead.
"I felt really guilty when they found out because I should have told them first – but I honestly never thought it would become this big.
"My mum definitely doesn't love where the money comes from but she's very thankful that I am in a position where I am making money for my future.”
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As well as treating her parents, Summer has also splashed out on a £520,000 four-bedroom home in Florida for herself, a Porsche worth over £80,000 and £4,800 braces.
She still plans on going to medical school once she's earned enough money to support herself and her family for the rest of her life.