It may seem unlikely, but it is. Solomon Friedman, a former Canadian criminal lawyer, was among the investors who bought the Mindgeek group, which owns porn industry giants like Pornhub and Youporn.
If this atypical course can make you smile, it is indeed real. Solomon Friedman wore multiple hats before he got there. Rabbi, lawyer and then partner of the Ethical Capital Partners investment fund. Initially a simple consultant for this one, he climbed the ladder to then become a direct investor and end up boss of Pornhub.
From rabbi to lawyer-businessman
Before practicing as a criminal lawyer at Friedman Mansour LLP in Ottawa, Canada, Solomon Friedman went to Israel to study and become a rabbi. In 2005, he was officially ordained by the local religious authorities. A year later, he returned to Canada to teach at the University of Ottawa and passed the bar in 2010. Very quickly, he became an influential lawyer who testified regularly before Parliament. His interventions largely concerned bills around firearms, which he is totally in favor of.
There’s no stopping Solomon, who seems to change careers as easily as his shirt. Well placed in the investment fund Ethical Capital Partenaires, he therefore turns into a businessman. Following the takeover in March 2023 of the company Mindgeek – among others – by this same group, Solomon is now at the head of one of the giants of the pornographic industry.
Reinvent Pornhub, towards a more “responsible” orientation
If this professional retraining is surprising, Solomon Friedman justifies it very calmly. During an interview given to the newspaper ottawa citizen, he explained his particular interest in the “advanced technologies” required to secure platforms. Its objective is clear: to improve the Pornhub platform by making it more responsible. He explains that ” We need an Internet for adults and not just for porn. The problem also arises for video games reserved for adults, explicit videos or online bets. “.
Prevent minors from accessing porn sites, a mission of paramount importance according to him. He explains that new technologies would be adopted by the group to ensure that this is the case. By addressing the Parisianhe said: I will say it loud and clear: we do not want minors on our platforms. “.
The arrival of Mr. Friedman at the head of Pornhub is a beautiful coincidence. Indeed, the debates on the regulation of pornographic content are relatively heated in France at the moment. For him, if a total blockage is decided in France, it would be an absurd decision and which would take root in an unsuitable legal system.
Source : 20 minutes
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