Internet porn still booming despite arrest of global smut tycoon

Internet porn magnate Fabian Thylmann—“the biggest porn tycoon on the planet,” according to New York magazine—has been arrested in Belgium for tax evasion.

The German-born Thylmann, 34, the managing partner of a company that owns such popular porn sites as Brazzers, YouPorn, and Spankwire, will remain in Belgian custody until his Dec. 19 hearing, a prosecutor’s office announced Monday.

Thylmann’s company, Manwin, is based in Luxembourg. It positions itself as an “international information technology firm,” and since 2010 has purchased some of the most popular user-generated “tube” porn sites on the Internet. 

In 2009, the U.S. Secret Service investigated Manwin, which at the time was called Mansef. It seized $6.4 million in funds, claiming that the company wired more than $9 million through countries on financial frauds lists.

That was before Thylmann was in the picture, though, and reportedly, he was responsible for a number of bids for respectability, like sponsoring safe-sex campaigns and launching non-porn sites like VideoBash.com.

Neither Manwin nor Thylmann have tweeted since Thylmann’s arrest, but the Twitter accounts associated with their porn brands have been active—and haven’t acknowledged the news.

“YOU HAD ME AT BLOWJOB,” @YouPorn tweeted Monday night.

“I still laugh at queefing,” posted @Brazzers.

Promotional photo via Brazzers