A bioengineering PhD student who dropped out has detailed how she now makes a staggering $1 million with educational science videos on OnlyFans.
Zara Darcy, 25, from Texas, recently spoke to People about her unusual adult content.
She explained that she had previously held a professional role at her university but it didn’t offer the hands-on work she was interested in.
Zara also acknowledged how competitive it is to be in academia, so she realized not even a PhD would help her get ahead.
‘I realized that even after completing a PhD, I would likely find myself in a similar position as I would with a master’s degree – overqualified for entry-level jobs but lacking industry experience,’ she told the outlet.
The Texan decided to leave her program and started to create educational STEM content online.
However, what sets her apart from other teachers are her two profiles on OnlyFans.
One offers free, academic lessons and the other sees Zara post X-rated content that she described as ‘artistic and erotic with tasteful nudity’ that allows her to ‘fully express herself as an individual.’
‘This content is deeply personal, and I use it to explore my thoughts, feelings, and experiences,’ she said of her sexual content.
‘For example, I did a photoshoot where I wore a hard hat while being topless, symbolizing the choice between continuing to work for others or working independently.
‘I paired it with a poem inspired by Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, which reflected the two paths I’m facing in my life.’
She added: ‘I like to think of each set as a reflection of who I am and the message I want to share at the time.’
Though her educational posts are a bit tamer, they still have, ‘a hot twist to keep things engaging and fun,’ she explained.
One example of this ‘hot twist’ is a video of the 25-year-old wearing a low-cut top while explaining Pi.
‘I started by sharing quick science facts on Instagram as short videos, discussing topics like the Leidenfrost effect and Schrödinger’s cat,’ Zara said.
‘I cover various topics, from math and STEM to personal growth, but I like to present them in a way that’s both approachable and playful, mixing education with a little bit of spice.’
The star started OnlyFans in 2022 when she was still in her graduate studies.
Zara is also an avid YouTuber and was motivated to keep posting once she noticed the adult-only site was promoting her videos on its login page.
‘This made me realize I can have an actual career by continuing to share educational and artistic, erotic content on OnlyFans. I love that fans respect my boundaries, and I only share what I’m comfortable with,’ she explained to People.
Soon enough, she was made over $50,000 a month.
While she was still at school studying and social media was a ‘side project,’ Zara wasn’t pressured to build an online presence, but she was curious.
‘Interestingly, I posted the same science videos on Pornhub as an experiment, and I earned almost three times more than I did on YouTube for the same content,’ she remembered.
Her accounts took off in the fall of 2024 when she did a candid video to her followers about leaving her PhD program.
She was excited to see how many people resonated with her work receiving messages from many people who had a similar story with academia.
Though everything felt very positive, there is still the negative side of social media.
‘Many people assumed I completely abandoned STEM because of OnlyFans.
‘However, I use my knowledge in ways that feel more meaningful to me — whether that’s making educational content with my own twist, researching topics that interest me without academic constraints, or finding creative ways to blend STEM with erotica for my OnlyFans,’ Zara explained.
And the career change has definitely boosted her income, admitting: ‘In total, I’ve made over $1 million through my online career — something I never imagined possible,’ she revealed.
‘Currently, I am among the top 0.1 percent of creators on OnlyFans and hope to continue growing my presence.’
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