Even in a post-pandemic world, celebrities with millions of fans — as well as those with just a few hundred fans — are turning to platforms where they can control their relationships, data and the content they create. Patreon, which has amassed a $4 billion valuation in just eight years, is a platform for doing just that.
“This is such a great time to be a creative person,” co-founder and CEO Jack Conte said in an appearance on CNBC’s “Closing Bell” on Wednesday. “Creators have incredible leverage now that they haven’t had for many years because these platforms were so focused on driving content production instead of getting creators paid.”
The company, ranked No. 48 on this year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list, allows illustrators, authors, podcasters, musicians and other independent creators to receive crowdfunding directly from their audience.
“I think now people are starting to realize ‘oh, these are real businesses and creators ought to be making money like everyone else’,” Conte said. “We’re hyper-focused on providing the business infrastructure to allow creators to be successful in growing and running their businesses.”
More coverage of the 2021 CNBC Disruptor 50
Meet the 2021 CNBC Disruptor 50 companies
