Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Zara Dar, a former PhD candidate and YouTuber, has gone viral for quitting academia to join an adult content platform, earning $1 million and sparking debates about career and societal norms.
"Moving on to doing OnlyFans full-time... feels kind of like a gamble on the direction of my entire life," said Dar, reflecting on her dramatic career shift.
“I envisioned a different life for myself—one unbound by the expectations of an academic institution,” she shared, explaining her decision to leave her PhD program.
From creating machine learning tutorials to adult site content, Dar stated, “I chose freedom over a life tied to someone else's vision.”
“I’ve made $1 million,” she revealed, using her OnlyFans earnings to pay off her family’s mortgage, buy a car, and secure her financial future.
"People whose lifestyles I thought I envied are tied to someone else's vision… doing things they don’t necessarily enjoy," she explained, rejecting academia and corporate life.
Dar highlighted her achievements: “No student loans, an investment portfolio, and plans to buy my own house,” redefining what success means to her.
“Most professors in the U.S. earn $100,000 annually… spending more time writing grant proposals than researching,” Dar noted, contrasting it with her own choices.
“This choice allows me to explore topics I genuinely care about, not just those deemed important by funding agencies,” Dar said of her career transition.