GoFundMe account for a down and out Provider

[robberbaron4u]

Any thoughts on the practicality of such an undertaking? 

[nomad]

Seen a few do this to help cover medical bills.  A lot are wary if the money will be used for said purpose or just to feed whatever addiction they might have.  Randy of SeanCody had one shortly before passing of kidney failure.

[samhexum]

[+ PhileasFogg]

Sounds complicated.  If they have a lot of friends, that should take care of itself.   If it’s clients they’re trying to tap, confidentiality matters 

Rock, meet hard place 

[robberbaron4u]

1 hour ago, nomad said:

Seen a few do this to help cover medical bills.  A lot are wary if the money will be used for said purpose or just to feed whatever addiction they might have.  Randy of SeanCody had one shortly before passing of kidney failure.

Agreed. A decade of working in the business and having made a substantial amount of money in the course of that time, that the provider has nothing to show for his endeavour in the way of money or material possessions does not evidence good management skills. 

[nomad]

The business is tough.  Wears on you physically and mentally.  The wreckage of known porn star dying young is sad to say the least.  I think the ones that do it with a clear goal in mind (like to get through school or some other life milestone) are the ones that are able to utilize it to further their life and get out fairly intact.  When you're young and adored, you think the easy money will always flow to you.  By the time you notice the adulation and music have stopped, it's too late to start saving and trying to be responsible.  The drugs and booze are a vehicle to try to escape the reality of real life if only fleetingly until the next hit. 

Each of us has our own reasons for hiring.  Some for the thrill.  Some for an escape.  Some for the quest.  That fantasy is shattered when reality is presented to us.  Easier to bury our heads in the sand, pretend it doesn't exist or gloss over it.

[mtaabq]

5 minutes ago, nomad said:

By the time you notice the adulation and music have stopped, it's too late to start saving and trying to be responsible. 

I do not mean to veer off-topic. You couldn’t possibly know this, but I needed to read that today. I’m not a provider but it applies to my current situation. And what you write is very true. My situation may or may not correct itself, but for what it’s worth, thank you. 

[robberbaron4u]

52 minutes ago, nomad said:

The business is tough.  Wears on you physically and mentally.  The wreckage of known porn star dying young is sad to say the least.  I think the ones that do it with a clear goal in mind (like to get through school or some other life milestone) are the ones that are able to utilize it to further their life and get out fairly intact.  When you're young and adored, you think the easy money will always flow to you.  By the time you notice the adulation and music have stopped, it's too late to start saving and trying to be responsible.  The drugs and booze are a vehicle to try to escape the reality of real life if only fleetingly until the next hit. 

Each of us has our own reasons for hiring.  Some for the thrill.  Some for an escape.  Some for the quest.  That fantasy is shattered when reality is presented to us.  Easier to bury our heads in the sand, pretend it doesn't exist or gloss over it.

Succinctly put; thank you.

[robberbaron4u]

1 hour ago, mtaabq said:

I do not mean to veer off-topic. You couldn’t possibly know this, but I needed to read that today. I’m not a provider but it applies to my current situation. And what you write is very true. My situation may or may not correct itself, but for what it’s worth, thank you. 

I pray you safe harbor...

[nomad]

1 hour ago, mtaabq said:

You couldn’t possibly know this

Sadly, I do.  I have watched as guys I have gotten to know spiral downward.  People I once considered friends become unrecognizable.  To cut them off despite their increasing desperate pleas for help.  Fool hearted into believing they wanted to turn their life around only to realize it was what I hoped for them, not what they wanted.  The pitfall of becoming friends and opening yourself up.  We are all human and born to make mistakes.  Hoping to learn from our failures to live and make a better choice another day.

[maninsoma]

34 minutes ago, nomad said:

Sadly, I do.  I have watched as guys I have gotten to know spiral downward.  People I once considered friends become unrecognizable.  To cut them off despite their increasing desperate pleas for help.  Fool hearted into believing they wanted to turn their life around only to realize it was what I hoped for them, not what they wanted.  The pitfall of becoming friends and opening yourself up.  We are all human and born to make mistakes.  Hoping to learn from our failures to live and make a better choice another day.

I think that by taking the part you quoted out of context that you misunderstood the intended meaning.  They weren't saying you couldn't know what you wrote above; they were saying that you couldn't know that they needed to read what you wrote today.

[robberbaron4u]

33 minutes ago, nomad said:

Sadly, I do.  I have watched as guys I have gotten to know spiral downward.  People I once considered friends become unrecognizable.  To cut them off despite their increasing desperate pleas for help.  Fool hearted into believing they wanted to turn their life around only to realize it was what I hoped for them, not what they wanted.  The pitfall of becoming friends and opening yourself up.  We are all human and born to make mistakes.  Hoping to learn from our failures to live and make a better choice another day.

Sadly, your remarks mirror my experience with the "boys"; for myself, I came to the realization that you cannot ask more of a person than they have to give...

[mtaabq]

10 hours ago, maninsoma said:

I think that by taking the part you quoted out of context that you misunderstood the intended meaning.  They weren't saying you couldn't know what you wrote above; they were saying that you couldn't know that they needed to read what you wrote today.

Thank you. Yes, that was exactly what I was trying to convey to @nomad. He obviously knows whereof he speaks; I am most definitely not disputing that. I was attempting to convey that @nomad would have no way of knowing that I needed to see and read that specific passage in his posting. And for that I am grateful. 

[mtaabq]

11 hours ago, robberbaron4u said:

I pray you safe harbor...

I am grateful that you would take the time to say that to a stranger. Thank you. 

[Rod Hagen]

14 hours ago, robberbaron4u said:

A decade of working in the business and having made a substantial amount of money in the course of that time, 

I was an escort for decades with great reviews and loyal wonderful client/friends.  I'm smart, well educated, drove a decades old car and lived in a rent-stabilized apartment for thirty years.  I can tell you from my experience my earnings never ever came to a "substantial" amount of money.  We charge a lot, but charging a lot and earning a lot are not the same thing. 

Because many escorts burn through what they earn buying stupid things, some can sneer that we throw away the money on stupid things.  A lot of us don't, it's just not a high earning career.  We go days without seeing clients, even the most popular of us, sometimes by choice, sometimes by cancelations, sometimes by the gods.  And nowadays, with rent and cars costing what they do, I can't imagine how escorts can even make enough to live, much less live comfortably.  

Anyway, very very very few escorts who've been at it a long time and very good at it have a house, health insurance to carry us into Medicare, and a self-driving car.  Generally we move to Palm Springs and make do. We disappear.

Edited Saturday at 03:27 PM by Rod Hagen

[robberbaron4u]

15 minutes ago, Rod Hagen said:

I was an escort for decades with great reviews and loyal wonderful client/friends.  I'm smart, well educated, drove a decades old car and lived in a rent-stabilized apartment for thirty years.  I can tell you from my experience my earnings never ever came to a "substantial" amount of money.  We charge a lot, but charging a lot and earning a lot are not the same thing. 

Because many escorts burn through what they earn buying stupid things, some can sneer that we throw away the money on stupid things.  A lot of us don't, it's just not a high earning career.  We go days without seeing clients, even the most popular of us, sometimes by choice, sometimes by cancelations, sometimes by the gods.  And nowadays, with rent and cars costing what they do, I can't imagine how escorts can even make enough to live, much less live comfortably.  

Anyway, very very very few escorts who've been at it a long time and very good at it have a house, health insurance to carry us into Medicare, and a self-driving car.  Generally we move to Palm Springs and make do. We disappear.

Unless, as with you, the escort is a Legend in his own time 

[Nue2thegame]

5 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

I was an escort for decades with great reviews and loyal wonderful client/friends.  I'm smart, well educated, drove a decades old car and lived in a rent-stabilized apartment for thirty years.  I can tell you from my experience my earnings never ever came to a "substantial" amount of money.  We charge a lot, but charging a lot and earning a lot are not the same thing. 

Because many escorts burn through what they earn buying stupid things, some can sneer that we throw away the money on stupid things.  A lot of us don't, it's just not a high earning career.  We go days without seeing clients, even the most popular of us, sometimes by choice, sometimes by cancelations, sometimes by the gods.  And nowadays, with rent and cars costing what they do, I can't imagine how escorts can even make enough to live, much less live comfortably.  

Anyway, very very very few escorts who've been at it a long time and very good at it have a house, health insurance to carry us into Medicare, and a self-driving car.  Generally we move to Palm Springs and make do. We disappear.

I imagine that it must be a little like being a professional athlete; both have a relatively limited earning career and the potential upside must be less for men in this business. Too many of both are not able to make an easy transition to life after work. I’m envisioning a home in Palm Springs for retired porn stars and escorts, like the Screen Actors Guild had. 

[robberbaron4u]

The provider of reference has determined to forego gofundme in favor of paypal.me which pays out directly to him. If anyone has an interest in tossing a few coins into the cup, private message me for his particulars.

[marylander1940]

On 6/19/2026 at 9:20 PM, robberbaron4u said:

Agreed. A decade of working in the business and having made a substantial amount of money in the course of that time, that the provider has nothing to show for his endeavour in the way of money or material possessions does not evidence good management skills. 

Agreed , unfortunately that happens to a lot of escorts to retire with nothing but stories to tell about their glorious days.

Sad but true!

[MikeBiDude]

5 hours ago, robberbaron4u said:

The provider of reference has determined to forego gofundme in favor of paypal.me which pays out directly to him. If anyone has an interest in tossing a few coins into the cup, private message me for his particulars.

Is this the same provider who needs a luxury car? Alfie?

[robberbaron4u]

6 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

Is this the same provider who needs a luxury car? Alfie?

Regretfully, portraying one's past patrons as "useless old, lonely parlor queens" has not served Alfie well in attaining his goal of a BMW luxury ride; however, he is having a second look at the Range Rover class of motor vehicle.

[Rod Hagen]

17 hours ago, Nue2thegame said:

 I’m envisioning a home in Palm Springs for retired porn stars and escorts, like the Screen Actors Guild had. 

You wouldn't be the first to imagine that.  :-)

Fortunately, thanks AGAIN to Dane Scot and Steven Kesslar being the pioneers, the expiration date of 40 (once upon a time it was 30, then 35) is gone.  Men can have successful careers into their 50s, some are in their 60s.  Amazing.  When this website  came to be, that was unthinkable, at least not with a lot of shit talk.  Largely, John Rechy was a joke when he was still Hustling while being a UCLA professor.  Now he'd be a hero.  Thanks again to those escorts 20 years ago, myself included :-), who were (largely) honest about age.

[+ nycman]

GoFundMe just feels like public begging. 

If someone close to me has a real and genuine need for money, I’m happy to give. 

But this bizzare iteration of “charity giving” is not for me.

[Rod Hagen]

43 minutes ago, nycman said:

GoFundMe just feels like public begging. 

If someone close to me has a real and genuine need for money, I’m happy to give. 

But this bizzare iteration of “charity giving” is not for me.

In cases of illness, people can turn to CaringBridge.  But in my limited GoFundMe perusal, it does feel like begging.  

[caliguy]

2 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

You wouldn't be the first to imagine that.  🙂

Fortunately, thanks AGAIN to Dane Scot and Steven Kesslar being the pioneers, the expiration date of 40 (once upon a time it was 30, then 35) is gone.  Men can have successful careers into their 50s, some are in their 60s.  Amazing.  When this website  came to be, that was unthinkable, at least not with a lot of shit talk.  Largely, John Rechy was a joke when he was still Hustling while being a UCLA professor.  Now he'd be a hero.  Thanks again to those escorts 20 years ago, myself included :-), who were (largely) honest about age.

Damn. John Rechy takes me back. I read his books wherever I could find  them. Usually picked up from a public library.  I was so eager to know gay life as someone who just entered adulthood in the late 80s. We really had nothing back then to educate ourselves.  I moved to Los Angeles thanks to him.

I remember his books about cruising Griffith Park, the bar scene,  and hooking on Santa Monica Blvd. Most of it pre dated me since the books mostly were 70s I think but I still remember the Hustlers on the Blvd.  

Yes it was funny to later learn he was still Hustling on the Blvd and his students would sometimes recognize him out selling the goods. 🥳🤣