If you were around for the early days of the web, you probably remember the "Wild West" era. It was a time of LimeWire, slow loading bars, and a whole lot of disorganized chaos. People didn’t really know where to find stuff. Then, everything shifted. When was Pornhub created? It officially hit the scene on May 25, 2007.
It wasn't just another website. It was a massive pivot for the entire adult industry. Before this, if you wanted to see anything, you usually had to pay for a subscription or navigate through a maze of "thumbnail gallery posts" (TGPs) that were essentially just a bunch of clickable pictures leading to other sketchy places.
The Guys Behind the Launch
Most people assume some big corporate entity dreamed up the site in a boardroom. Honestly, it was a group of tech-savvy guys in Montreal. Matt Keezer is the name most often cited as the primary founder, but he wasn't flying solo. He was part of a tight-knit circle that included Stephane Manos and Ouissam Youssef.
These guys were basically tech geeks who happened to be really into competitive foosball. I’m not even joking. They spent their time at Concordia University and eventually figured out that the "YouTube model"—user-generated content that’s free to watch—was the future.
They already had a foot in the door with a production company called Brazzers, which they’d started a few years earlier in 2004. But Pornhub was different. It was a "tube" site. The idea was simple: let people upload whatever they wanted, and let everyone else watch it for free.
Why 2007 Was the Perfect Storm
Timing is everything in business. In 2007, a few things happened at once:
- The iPhone launched. Suddenly, everyone had a high-quality screen in their pocket.
- Broadband became standard. No more waiting twenty minutes for a three-minute clip.
- YouTube had proven the model. People were already used to getting their video fix for free.
Keezer and his partners saw the opening. They bought the domain (legend has it the deal was struck after a meeting at the Playboy Mansion) and launched the site under an umbrella company called Interhub.
The Fabian Thylmann Era and the Move to MindGeek
By 2010, the original founders were ready to cash out. They’d built a behemoth, but they were also reportedly getting paranoid about the legal heat and scrutiny that comes with running the world's biggest adult site.
Enter Fabian Thylmann.
Thylmann was a German tech entrepreneur who had created something called NATS (Next-Generation Affiliate Tracking Software). He was a data guy. In March 2010, he bought the assets of Interhub and another company called Mansef for a reported $140 million.
He merged everything into a conglomerate called Manwin. Under Thylmann, the company didn't just grow; it exploded. He started buying up every competitor in sight—sites like YouPorn and RedTube—effectively creating a massive monopoly.
From Manwin to MindGeek
The name "MindGeek" didn't actually show up until 2013. Thylmann ran into some serious tax trouble in Germany and had to step down. His top executives, Feras Antoon and David Tassillo, bought him out and rebranded the whole operation.
For nearly a decade, Antoon and Tassillo were the faces of the company. They turned it into a tech giant that rivaled mainstream platforms in terms of data processing and AI implementation. But as the site grew, so did the problems.
The 2020 Reckoning
For years, Pornhub operated on a "upload first, ask questions later" policy. This led to a massive crisis. In late 2020, following a high-profile investigation by The New York Times, it was revealed that the site was hosting significant amounts of non-consensual content and illegal material.
The fallout was instant.
- Visa and Mastercard pulled their payment services.
- The site's reputation took a nosebleed.
- Pornhub was forced to delete over 10 million unverified videos overnight.
Basically, the site went from being a "free-for-all" to a strictly regulated platform where only "verified" creators could upload. It was the end of the "tube" era as we knew it.
Who Owns It Now?
If you check the books today, you won't find Antoon or Tassillo in charge. In March 2023, MindGeek was acquired by a Canadian private equity firm called Ethical Capital Partners (ECP). They subsequently renamed the parent company Aylo.
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The new owners have been on a massive PR campaign to frame the site as a leader in "trust and safety." They’ve implemented biometric verification and stricter moderation tools. It’s a far cry from the foosball-playing college kids in Montreal back in 2007.
Key Facts About Pornhub's Creation
- Official Launch Date: May 25, 2007.
- Original City: Montreal, Canada.
- Primary Founder: Matt Keezer.
- Current Parent Company: Aylo (formerly MindGeek).
- Current Owner: Ethical Capital Partners (ECP).
What This Means for You
Whether you're looking at this from a business perspective or just curious about internet history, the story of when Pornhub was created is really a story about the transition of the web. It shows how a few people with a simple idea—mimicking YouTube for a niche market—could disrupt an entire multi-billion dollar industry.
If you’re interested in how digital platforms evolve, take note of their 2020 pivot. It’s a textbook example of how "growth at all costs" eventually hits a wall, and how regulatory and financial pressure (like losing credit card processing) can force even the biggest giants to change their entire business model in a weekend.
To stay informed on how these platforms are navigating new age-verification laws and privacy regulations in 2026, keep an eye on the legal filings from Aylo. The landscape is shifting toward much tighter identity controls, which is the exact opposite of the anonymity the site was founded on nearly twenty years ago.