Dear readers, this is my final instalment of Five Great Reads, but fear not – my wonderful colleague Imogen Dewey will be back in your inboxes next week and beyond. So please enjoy this week’s selection. If you need me, I’ll be off digging through a crate of records somewhere.
1. How OnlyFans owner’s death could reshape the porn money-making machine
When the OnlyFans owner Leonid Radvinsky died from cancer last week at the age of 43, he left behind a family stake in the London-based adult content site of about US$5.5bn. What happens to the business now depends on his wife, Yekaterina Chudnovsky, a Downton Abbey fan, lawyer and philanthropist whose few public statements have never mentioned pornography.
Mixed reviews: Adreena Winters, an OnlyFans performer, says she is grateful to the site for helping her earn a regular income. But Gail Dines, who leads an organisation addressing pornography as a public health crisis, described Radvinsky as “the world’s richest pimp”.
How long will it take to read: Four minutes.
2. The people who moved abroad for love – and regretted it
Emigrating to be with your partner sounds wildly romantic, but what happens when the person is right and the place very much isn’t? Elle Hunt catches up with six people who have found themselves in a strange land wondering “what the hell have I done?”
Straight outta Sydney: Tim Prior, who moved from Australia to Switzerland for a partner he has separated from, now finds himself stuck there until his children finish their studies. “I find the seasons an emotional rollercoaster,” he confesses. “Every winter it just gets worse.”
How long will it take to read: Eight minutes.
3. ‘She told us what to wear, how we would have sex. We were prisoners’
Deborah Green was a charismatic woman who established a “free love ministry” in California, claiming to be a vessel for God. She was also a controlling, cruel sadist.
Her daughter Sarah talks Simon Hattenstone through her terrifying upbringing – and dramatic escape. Graphic content warning.
“When we lived on the compound, we were told what to wear, when to pray, how we would have sex with our partners or not have sex, what to eat and what not to eat and when. We were prisoners.” – Sarah Green
How long will it take to read: Eleven minutes.
4. Tackling the UK’s cargo theft crisis
Mike Dawber is a field intelligence officer for Britain’s national vehicle crime intelligence service, a kind of FBI for wheel-based theft. And he is a busy man.
Britain’s organised criminal gangs aren’t after bullion these days, but baby formula, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and in one case, a truck carrying 400 50-litre kegs of Guinness – the equivalent of 35,000 pints. “They have networks that can get rid of goods and move it on for serious sums,” Dawber says of his adversaries. “It’s mind boggling.”
The perfect crime? If stolen cargo isn’t found within the first few hours, it’s as good as gone. It re-enters the supply chain and, soon after, the evidence will be eaten.
How long will it take to read: Twelve minutes.
5. How a satellite-smashing chain reaction could spiral out of control
Earth’s orbit was a vast and empty space for hundreds of thousands of years until 1957, when Soviet Union scientists launched a metal ball with four radio antennae – called Sputnik – high into the sky.
This amazing interactive shows you how we got to where things are now, with about 32,000 satellites and fragments orbiting the Earth like bugs around a spotlight. The surge in orbital activity has created a significant collision risk that could hinder humanity’s space-faring future.
How long will it take to read: Two minutes.
Further reading: The rest of the Crowded Space series is equally sobering. So maybe it’s best to step away from your screen, step outside, look to the sky and marvel at the wonders of the universe instead.
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