Here's how much Mia Khalifa earned from her porn stint
Former pornstar Mia Khalifa is a global cultural sensation today. The 26-year-old took the adult film industry by storm since her appearance in scenes wearing a hijab. The scenes brought her instant fame, beheading threats from Islamic State supporters, and one would assume, satisfying monetary compensation. However, Khalifa, who now works with app developers, recently revealed that her brief porn career wasn't as profitable.
Last week, Khalifa tweeted, "People think I'm racking in millions from porn. Completely untrue. I made a TOTAL of around $12,000 (Rs. 8.5L) in the industry and never saw a penny again." She mentioned facing trouble finding "normal" jobs after her stint in the adult film industry, which ended in 2015. Khalifa also made the revelation in an interview with American author Megan Abbott.
People think I’m racking in millions from porn. Completely untrue. I made a TOTAL of around $12,000 in the industry and never saw a penny again after that. Difficulty finding a normal job after quitting porn was... scary. Full interview here: https://t.co/xHK7SmhfrY pic.twitter.com/fwJlyzHznq
— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) August 12, 2019
In another tweet, Khalifa noted, "I was never promised "millions", nor do I expect it. I'm just clarifying common misconceptions about me, and in turn, the industry.'" She added, "I was involved in porn so briefly, but my actions spread like wildfire, and I continue to be ranked (truly baffles me) 5 years after leaving the industry. That's why people think I still perform."
According to The Washington Post, Khalifa worked in pornographic films for merely three months in late 2014. However, since leaving the industry she has maintained a top-ranked presence, even five years later. Currently, she's ranked No. 2 among actor searches on Pornhub. What seems unfair here is that Khalifa continues to bring cash for websites, reaping no profits for herself whatsoever, The Post reported.
Notably, Alec Helmy, the president and publisher of XBiz, an adult entertainment industry news site, told The Post that subscription video sites, DVDs and broadcast licensing earn about $2 billion every year, although exact numbers are hard to track. He said that explicit live-streaming adds another $2 billion to their pockets. However, Helmy added that Khalifa's earnings are "pretty typical."
Another pornstar Tasha Reign said she was unsurprised that Khalifa was paid so little and didn't earn royalties. Reign told The Post, "Unfortunately for us, though, we don't make as much money from the hits as, say, a songwriter or showrunner."
