Ex-Rabbi Co-founder of a private equity firm explains why he acquired Pornhub

Solomon Friedman is one of the new owners of PornHub. He is an attorney and rabbi (some reports say he is a former rabbi). His private equity firm took over Mindgeek, the umbrella company of virtually every porn site.

He vowed to save PornHub from ruin and make it a better place. What he means by a better place might not be what most people think is “better.”

In the clip below, Solomon coaches defense attorneys of pedophiles on how to get lesser sentences for their sex offender clients. When the prosecutor next to him argues that the 30-day sentences for pedophiles back in 2009 weren’t enough, Solomon jokes, “the good old days.” (No one laughs…)

Nothing against rabbis since he’s rogue; we have rogue priests in my religion, but how do people reconcile this with religion? It’s not funny. It ruins children’s lives.

The company that he acquired Pornhub under is called “Ethical Capital Partners.” You can’t make this stuff up!

— Arden Young (@arden_young_) December 27, 2023

According to Yahoo Finance, this is why he bought it:

“When a potential MindGeek acquisition became available, we took an open-minded, unbiased look at it,” says Friedman. “What we found absolutely blew our minds. We found a company that had created the best-in-class online trust and safety automation tools. … We’re of the belief that these tools must be shared with the larger internet.”

The tools, he says, are designed to verify the identity of the people in videos, as well as their age and consent to posting, using both human and automated checks. They also create digital fingerprints to flag pre-existing content to combat piracy and have a portal designed to help law enforcement officials collect necessary data.

“We see enormous value beyond the adult industry for those tools,” he says. “We see enormous value in the online trust and safety tool. I have no doubt that people are going to be hearing more about that and its applications well beyond adult. We feel we have a responsibility to develop those tools beyond their current uses.”

He’s also looking at it going mainstream:

While ECP sees value in the technology behind Pornhub and other MindGeek properties, it’s not discounting the substantial revenues in the content itself. Friedman notes that just a few years ago, cannabis was a taboo subject in Canada and much of the U.S., but has since become one that is openly discussed. The private equity firm believes adult entertainment is on the cusp of that same sort of mainstreaming.

“We’re of the view that there’s real potential for adult audiences,” he says. “Adults need a place on the internet. And the opportunity for creating those spaces and ensuring those are safe and stigma-free has real potential.”

So, it’s for money, the tools, and mainstreaming porn? Didn’t Sodom and Gomorrah happen because this stuff went mainstream?

Correction: Mr. Friedman is only a partial owner. The headline was changed to clarify. Also, he rejected the teachings as a rabbi.

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