Gay Porn Makes You Rich (Not)

A few weeks ago, we heard that Falcon Lifetime Exclusive Matthew Rush was advertising his availability for "muscle worship and hot encounters" on Rentboy. Little did we know that report would take on a life of its own; apparently, Rush hadn't told his friends that he was hurting for cash and was trying to patch things up with ex-boyfriend/fellow pornstar Ethan Kage. And the revelation prompted a lively round of discussion at the venerable Atkol forums, where several members wanted to know: "Exactly how much do gay porn stars make per scene? And what is an exclusive contract worth?"

The answer is "not very much", which helps explain why many pornstars do escort work on the side. For example, Roman Heart's former exclusive contract was valued at "5 scenes @ $3200, plus a $3200 bonus, that's $19,200 TOTAL income for an entire YEAR in movies," explains agent David Forest in a recent tell-all (and caps-heavy) thread at Atkol. Rush's former booking booking agent and "manager to the stars" created the "ask me anything" thread after engaging in a flame war with La Rush over the latter's recent decision to escort. Besides spilling who made the most per movie ("$75,000, which KEN RYKER made for "Ryker's Revenge"), Forest also answers some WEHTs about your favorite porn stars of yesteryear (including Eric Manchester, Ryan Idol, Jeff Stryker) and provides his explanation on his "beef" with Michael Lucas. The long, extensively footnoted thread is now closed to new comments, but should still give you plenty to chew on ... especially if you're considering any potential career changes yourself.

· "Ask DAVID FOREST" and "Matthew Rush Throws Jockstrap into Escort Ring" (atkol.com)

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Previously: Atkol Forums Forever!, Will The Real Rick Pantera Please Stand Up?, Matthew Rush Expands His Skill Set, Matthew Rush Really Wants To Direct, Big Muscle(s) of the Week: Clayton & Greg,