Kriti Mehrotra
If there is only one word we can use to describe Netflix’s ‘Money Shot: The Pornhub Story,’ it would have to be baffling considering the way it shines a light upon the adult entertainment industry. After all, while there’s no denying sex work can often be empowering and positive, this documentary movie delves into the dark side of it — one that involves trafficking, abuse, and exploitation. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about Bernd Bergmair, a co-owner of arguably the most controversial erotic sites ever — MindGeek’s subsidiary Pornhub — we’ve got you covered.
Who is Bernd Bergmair?
Although born in 1968 as the son of farmers in the wondrous town of Ansfelden in Upper Austria, Bernd (or Bernard Bergemar) primarily grew up in the city of Linz right along the Danube River. He thus attended a local grammar institution before transferring to the renowned Höhere LandwirtschaftZliche Bundeslehranstalt (HLBLA) St. Florian School for Agriculture and the Rural Area. As if that’s not enough, he then pursued further education at the University of Linz, from where he graduated in 1992 with a complete thesis on several matters related to business acquisitions.
It has been reported that Bernd actually kickstarted his career as a corporate employee by joining Goldman Sachs in New York, only to later be based out of Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and London. However, in between this period, he decided to step into the world of porn and became the owner of RedTube in 2006, just to sell it off to Manwin (better known as MindGeek) for a profit in 2013. This was around the same time the latter’s founder, German industry tycoon Fabian Thylmann, was actively looking to sell his entire conglomerate following some legal troubles due to tax evasion.
Therefore, in-company high-level executive Feras Antoon, senior manager David Tassilo, and investor Bernd acquired MindGeek for $100 million, with the latter holding a majority of its shares. Though the truth is, the latter’s identity wasn’t positively known until late 2020 since he’d deliberately kept it on the down low upon having moved on to simply being a successful private investor. In fact, Financial Times was the one to reveal he owned more than half of the organization yet was utterly passive because he was not involved in any aspect of its day-to-day operations.
Where is Bernd Bergmair?
According to an extensive investigation by the UK-based Tortoise Media, MindGeek’s records indicate Bernd resides in China, but he has actually been based out of London, England, for years. He ostensibly has his own mansion in the city thanks to his massive earning from the Canadian erotic nucleus, which he shares with his Brazilian wife, Priscila Bergmair, as well as their children. So, it appears as if the mid-50-year-old continues to reside in The Big Smoke alongside his little family, where he prefers to lead a quiet yet luxurious life as far away from the spotlight as possible.
Bernd has never once commented on his ownership of MindGeek or the dire accusations the firm has faced over the years, but his wife did open up to The Sunday Times in May 2021. The then-fashion blogger and model — she has since seemingly deleted or privated her social media accounts — clearly said she wished her spouse would cut off all ties with the business. “It’s not easy,” the mother of three elucidated, referring to the sexual assault, non-consent, child abuse, and sex trafficking allegations against Pornhub. “It’s something, maybe, that the government has to work on … making rules.”
“Everyone wants the best to be done,” Priscila added. “Because people have children. I have children now. So I don’t want children, you know [to be exploited]… none of us want that. We all want things to be right… To be honest, I never knew of this. I was totally out of this … The only thing he told me is that he wishes he was not in this, and I think he will not be very soon.” But, it doesn’t look like Bernd has parted ways with the successful conglomerate.
