The Kink Machine

De: Patricia Nilsson, Alex Barker

Narrado por: Patricia Nilsson, Alex Barker

Millions watch it. Few know who’s behind it. This is the story of the companies who rule the online adult entertainment business.

Streamed by millions every day, porn is everywhere. It shapes our culture, our relationships, and even technology. Yet, nobody seems to know who really controls the business. The power brokers tend to lurk in the shadows, while their performers remain quite literally exposed.

In The Kink Machine: The Hidden Business of Adult Entertainment, two Financial Times journalists, Patricia Nilsson and Alex Barker, start digging into the porn industry and following where the money flows. Their reporting uncovers a shadowy power structure that includes billionaires, tech geniuses, and the most powerful finance companies in the world.

A gripping exposé of how power operates behind the most taboo corner of the internet, Nilsson and Barker unravel a story about control, influence, and an industry with staggering cultural reach that no one really wants to talk about—until now.

Please note: This collection includes content that has been released in the Hot Money podcast series.

©2026 The Financial Times and Pushkin Industries (P)2026 The Financial Times and Pushkin Industries

Boring beyond belief

Boring, self indulgent, smug.

This book is tremendously boring. Just a handful of vignettes of what it was like for computer engineers to launch online adult sites. Basically no drama or intrigue whatever. You basically already know the story if you’ve ever had an internet connection. The book’s marketing suggests that there is a mystery to be solved, but we are continuously shown that nothing mysterious or intriguing ever occurred.

The early days of the internet required dial-up? Wow.
Adult sites had to make money from advertising? Wow.
One website acquired another website one time? Wow.
Some sites didn’t moderate against piracy? Wow.

The authors have a smug and condescending tone, and they boast about how difficult their job was, except it doesn’t sound difficult at all. For example, they discuss how hard it was to find a specific guy who had an adult site in the 90s. They found an email address on a forum, sent him an email, and he then responded. That’s how hard it was. They also seem to think they’re Hunter S Thompson for daring to discuss adult entertainment at all.

The authors also discuss sexuality like they’re above it and expect us to feel the same way. “Madeline had set up a live video conferencing website. Except unlike other video conferencing, Madeline would be doing it… without any clothes on.” Said like the narrator is David Attenborough. Are we supposed to feel as amazed by this in 2026?