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Graduate turned down PhD to become adult star after making annual salary in two days

Neuroscience graduate Isla Moon says she ditched a PhD offer and left academia after her adult content platform blew up, claiming she made her $15,000 (11,200) salary in two days

[Psychology and neuroscience graduate Isla Moon]

Psychology and neuroscience graduate Isla Moon(Image: the.isla.moon/Instagram)

A university graduate turned down a PhD offer and walked away from the academic life after making her annual salary in just two days on an adult content platform.

Before entering the adult industry, Isla Moon was working as a research assistant in a neuroscience lab and dedicated to pursuing a career as a clinical psychologist. After completing her undergraduate degree in psychology and neuroscience with straight As, she was on track to continue into a PhD.

But she was earning a meager $15,000 (11,000) annual salary while building experience in academic research. I was a research assistant at my lab and was applying to do my PhD, at the time, Isla said.

[Isla Moon has revealed how she turned down a PhD offer]

Isla Moon has revealed how she turned down a PhD offer(Image: the.isla.moon/Instagram)

I already had some research papers to my name, and was going down the path of all of that stuff. But while finishing her degree, Isla stumbled across a story explaining how an adult content creator set a record by making $1 million (750,000) in 24 hours and began wondering whether someone with no audience could do the same.

"I read this Bella Thorne article and that's when I found out about [a popular adult content platform]," she said. "I was like, damn, maybe I could do that.

"I had no followers. My personal Instagram had, I think, 18 followers."

[She walked away from academia]

She walked away from academia(Image: the.isla.moon/Instagram)

Determined to finish university before starting anything new, Isla decided to wait until she completed her degree. She recalls bringing up the idea of starting adult content to her long-term boyfriend while at home in their first apartment together.

She said: "Then he was like, yeah. We should do it."

The day after her final exam, Isla posted her first nude online. She explained she initially tried Reddit, but says growth didnt come until she pivoted to TikTok. "My [adult content platform] blew up," Isla said. "And the same day I blew up, I got my offer to do my PhD."

[She started making her annual salary in just two days on an adult content platform]

She started making her annual salary in just two days on an adult content platform(Image: the.isla.moon/Instagram)

Faced with two wildly different futures, Isla says the decision became impossible to ignore once she saw the money coming in. I made my salary in two days, she said.

I figured, if all fails and I make no more, Id have a couple years to figure it out and get a job and all that. So its, like, I had to.

She added: "I remember calling the university saying sorry, I will decline the offer. Like, who does that? "Who declines a PhD offer to go all in on OF?"

[Before entering the adult industry, Isla was working as a research assistant]

Before entering the adult industry, Isla was working as a research assistant(Image: the.isla.moon/Instagram)

Within months, Isla watched as her earnings continued to climb from five to six figures - placing her in the top 0.1% of creators on the platform in record time.

She said: "My first month, I made $30,000 (about 23,500). Then the next was like $50,000 (about 39,000). "After that was like $100,000 (about 78,000). It just kept going.

"I was in the top 0.1% after three months, and have stayed in that position until now." As her profile grew, Isla discovered she had effectively been erased from her university's alumni listings.

[She completed her undergraduate degree with straight As]

She completed her undergraduate degree with straight As(Image: the.isla.moon/Instagram)

Despite occasionally needing to remind herself to switch off, she has no regrets about the path shes chosen for herself. "I love it," she said. "I kinda love it a little too much."

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