Former child internet star Piper Rockelle has begun the new year with an astonishing financial windfall, earning over $2.9 million in her first 24 hours on the adult subscription platform, OnlyFans.
From YouTube Fame to Adult Content
The 18-year-old influencer, who first found fame at just eight years old creating family-friendly content on YouTube managed by her mother, Tiffany Smith, officially launched her OnlyFans account on Thursday. In a since-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, Rockelle shared a screenshot of her day-one earnings report, expressing her disbelief and gratitude.
"My first day! Forever grateful," she wrote. The detailed report showed the vast majority of the multi-million dollar sum came from subscriptions, with additional revenue generated through paid messages and tips from followers.
A Calculated Launch and Family Reactions
In the lead-up to the launch, Rockelle built anticipation with a countdown on her social media channels. "Dropping at 12am est be ready," she announced, later adding, "2 hours… IM FREAKING OUT." Prior to going live, she even made a prediction in an Instagram video featuring her grandmother, forecasting she would make $2 million on her first day—a figure she ultimately surpassed.
Her OnlyFans biography hints at the significant personal shift, stating: "Everyone told me not to do this but here we are…" and "If you told younger me i would be doing OF right now i would never believe you."
Reflecting on the staggering income, Rockelle commented on another social media post, "YouTube never paid me like this does," and told a user who reposted her earnings screenshot, "Never in a million years did i expect this to happen, you guys changed my life."
Background: A Controversial Past and Lasting Loyalty
Rockelle's early career is now the subject of scrutiny, featured in the recent Netflix documentary series Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing. Her rise was facilitated by her mother, Tiffany Smith, who formed a collaborative group of child influencers known as "The Squad."
This management led to significant legal trouble, with 11 former members of The Squad suing Smith for alleged emotional, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse during content creation. The lawsuit was settled out of court for $1.8 million, with Smith denying any wrongdoing as part of the settlement terms.
Despite the controversy, Piper Rockelle has remained steadfastly loyal to her mother. She has publicly insisted Smith "did not do any of those things that they said. And I’ll stand by my mom to the end." Her transition to OnlyFans marks a definitive new chapter, distancing her professional life from the child-centric content that originally made her famous.
