Zara Dar, a YouTuber and former advocate for women in science and technology, recently announced her decision to quit her PhD program to become a full-time OnlyFans content creator. In a revealing YouTube video titled “PhD Dropout to OnlyFans Model,” Ms. Dar detailed her journey, describing the move as a significant life gamble.
“Moving on to doing OnlyFans and content creation full-time, it’s not just a career choice—it feels kind of like a gamble on the direction of my entire life,” she shared.
Zara Dar, who has over 1 lakh subscribers on YouTube, initially focused her content on machine learning and neural networks.
However, she decided to leave academia after assessing the compromises associated with pursuing a career in research or corporate environments.
“People whose lifestyles I thought I envied are tied to someone else’s vision. They’ll spend their lives working for a company and doing things they don’t necessarily enjoy,” she said. “Their work might win someone else’s wealth and fame while they stay in the background. Expendable, they will constantly worry about getting laid off and planning their lives around their salaries, budgeting to pay bills and likely renting a place to live.”
Ms. Dar, who earned a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Texas, envisioned a life free from the expectations of academic institutions and the constraints of corporate offices.
By choosing to focus on OnlyFans, she explained, she could explore topics she genuinely cared about without being restricted by funding agencies or institutional priorities. “I’ve made $1 million,” she revealed, highlighting the financial success that accompanied her career pivot.
Initially, she started creating content on OnlyFans as a side project while pursuing her PhD. Over time, her earnings allowed her to achieve several personal milestones. “I used the money to pay off my family’s mortgage and buy myself a car. Thankfully, I avoided taking out any student loans. Now, I have an investment portfolio and am planning to buy my own house,” she said.
Ms. Dar also reflected on the academic lifestyle, noting that most U.S. professors earn around $100,000 annually but spend much of their time writing grant proposals rather than conducting research. “That’s a lifestyle I realized wasn’t aligned with my vision for myself,” she concluded.
Her decision to leave academia has sparked conversations about redefining success and pursuing unconventional career paths. For Ms. Dar, the move represents not just financial freedom but also the opportunity to live a life that aligns with her personal values and goals.
