A model who grew up poor says her family never have to want for anything ever again – all thanks to her OnlyFans salary.
Camilla Araujo spent her childhood wearing second-hand clothes and knew her mum and dad worried about affording rent.
For years, she watched her immigrant parents – who arrived in the US with nothing but $300 to their name – graft to earn what little they had.
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Camilla was determined to do her part and had originally intended to become a doctor.
But after going viral, the model decided to take the Gen Z route to money and fame.
Camilla, who has nine million followers on her TikTok account @camilla, turned to social media instead of a traditional 9 to 5, which eventually led her to OnlyFans.
Now, her life is unrecognisable, with the model pulling in up to $1.5m per month.
It has allowed her to retire her parents – Thyago, 50, and Humberta, 49 – as well as treat them and her brother, Christian, to plenty of luxuries.
“I remember when I first retired my parents,” said Camilla.
“Mom, who used to wake up at 6am to go to work, woke up at 10am and called me crying.
“She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so free.
“I almost burst out in tears as well when she told me this.
“I wasn’t deprived of a good childhood.
“My parents did such an amazing job of trying to not show that we were financially struggling – but deep down, I knew that they had it tough.
“When I was just a toddler, mum, dad and I lived with my aunt and uncle in one apartment.
“My mum used to work at Subway and she had a second job – all while being pregnant with my brother.
“We moved seven times in a very short period of time because they couldn’t afford rent.
“Now, I pay their bills so they don’t have to work.
“They are ‘retired’ but my parents are not ones to sit idly by – so they still choose to work at their cleaning company.
“But my mom in particular just looks lighter now; she went from cleaning six to seven houses a day with her team and my dad, to going on vacation and being able to sleep in.
“Being able to give my parents this opportunity is my greatest achievement.”
Camilla, who is part of the now-famous Bop House – also sometimes dubbed the ‘OnlyFans House’ – loves surprising her family with gifts they could previously only dream of.
She said: “I got my dad a brand new 2024 Corvette for his birthday – it’s his dream car.
“Mom received a pink BMW convertible and my brother Christian gets pretty much anything he wants.
“I take them on crazy vacations.
“My family is definitely spoiled, but I love giving them gifts.
“My parents arrived in the US with $300 to their name and worked hard to figure it out for me and my brother.
“They deserve luxury.
“I get to watch my family live a whole different life and it feels amazing.”
While Camilla’s parents hail from São Paulo, Brazil, she was born in North Carolina.
As a child, she was top of her class and obsessed with science.
Camilla dreamed of being a cardiologist – but this all changed after she took part in a viral Squid Game video hosted by YouTuber James Steven Donaldson, who is better known as Mr Beast.
After this appearance, she gained 145,000 followers in just 24 hours.
Camilla soon decided to drop out of college and spent the next two years working towards her goal of becoming a social media star.
She juggled a bottle service job at night, worked in real estate by day and filmed content whenever she could.
But with money tight and her parents pushing her to return to school, Camilla eventually chose to join OnlyFans at the start of 2023.
The cash soon came rolling in.
“When I made my first hundred thousand dollars, I just remember crying,” said the content creator, who also has 4.3 million followers on Instagram @realcamillaara.
“I couldn’t believe I did it.
“You don’t really stop to think about [the money] because you’re so focused on making more.
“It’s like a drug.
“You fall into this endless cycle of pushing and pushing and you can’t stop, because if you stop, you’re left behind.
“I never stop to think about that and how crazy my monthly millionaire salary is.
“I can’t believe I’ve done this.”
For Camilla, the best part about her financial success is being able to help her family.
She said: “What I’m grateful for is so much more than just the dollar amount on an account.
“I’m so grateful for the freedom that this money gives me.
“I have been able to give back to the people who supported me through tough times.
“I have retired my parents and provide for relatives in Brazil and any friends in need.
“It’s stressful at times but there’s no better motivation knowing that you can provide peace for others.”
