A CEO accidentally gave a new project the same name as a famous OnlyFans model — and quickly changed it
In a recent turn of events, Inference, a tech company focused on open science, faced an unexpected naming controversy surrounding its newly launched initiative, “Project AELLA.” CEO Sam Hogan initially introduced the project, which aims to enhance scientific accessibility through structured summaries generated by large language models (LLMs). However, he quickly learned that “AELLA” was not only a name for his initiative but also the moniker of a well-known OnlyFans model, sex worker, and Substack researcher, Aella. Upon discovering this, Hogan promptly changed the project’s name to “Project OSSAS” just nine hours after its announcement. Aella, who had been a top creator on OnlyFans, generating up to $100,000 monthly, humorously responded to the situation on social media, saying, “Lmfao.”
The exchange between Hogan and Aella sparked a broader dialogue about their respective works and the potential for collaboration. Aella, who now focuses on research and data analysis of sex and relationships through her Substack, “Knowingless,” has garnered attention and praise from influential figures, including venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. Hogan acknowledged Aella’s work, stating, “I didn’t know who you were until today. Now I do! Love your work.” In a light-hearted response, Aella expressed her appreciation for Hogan’s initiative, stating, “I love ppl working on making science better.” The conversation took a collaborative turn when Hogan proposed the idea of visualizing some of Aella’s survey data, to which she enthusiastically agreed.
Interestingly, Hogan hinted that the name change might not be permanent, suggesting that he might seek Aella’s blessing to revert to the original name. He even floated the idea of a modified version, like “AELLA-B,” to avoid potential confusion. This interaction highlights not only the importance of understanding the context behind names in the tech industry but also the potential for innovative partnerships that can arise from unexpected situations. As Inference continues to grow—having recently closed an $11.8 million seed round led by prominent investors—this unique incident serves as a reminder of the intersection between technology, research, and pop culture.
Inference briefly named a new venture “Project AELLA.” Its CEO, Sam Hogan, said he hadn’t heard of OnlyFans model Aella “until today.”
Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Inference rolled out an open-science CEO named “Project AELLA.” The OnlyFans model Aella responded: “Lmfao.”
Aella is a sex worker and Substack researcher whose theories have been praised by Marc Andreessen.
CEO Sam Hogan changed the name and responded to Aella on X, “I didn’t know who you were until today.”
Inference CEO
Sam Hogan
announced the open-science initiative Project AELLA on Tuesday. Nine hours later, he changed it to Project OSSAS.
In the hours leading up to the change, Hogan learned that Aella wasn’t just
the name
of an “open-science initiative to make scientific research accessible via structured summaries created by LLMs,” as the company described it. It was also the name of a famous
OnlyFans model
, sex worker, and Substack researcher.
“Thank you to those who brought the context surrounding this name to our attention, and to our partners and the research community for their ongoing support,” Hogan
wrote on X
.
Aella reposted Hogan’s renaming: “Lmfao.”
In 2020, Aella was in the top 0.04% of OnlyFans creators in terms of monthly revenue generated, telling
Business Insider
that she made up to $100,000 a month. She is also an escort. On the
“Dating Talk” podcast
in February, Aella said that she charges $4,000 for the first hour, and then $1,000 for every additional hour.
Now, Aella makes most of her money through research, she said on the podcast. Aella launched the Substack ”
Knowingless
,” which analyzes sex and relationships via data mining. Her approach has taken off within tech circles. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen called one of her ideas ”
fantastic
.”
The naming debacle sparked a broader conversation between Hogan and Aella.
“I didn’t know who you were until today,” Hogan
wrote
. “Now I do! Love your work.”
“Your work seems great too!” Aella
responded
. “I love ppl working on making science better.”
Hogan’s Inference closed an $11.8 million seed round in October, per PitchBook. The round was led by Multicoin Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.
On LinkedIn, Hogan described Inference as “the world’s largest GPU cluster for LLM inference.”
The exchange between Hogan and Aella seems to have ended with an opportunity for collaboration. “Would be cool to do visualizations for some of your surveys,” Hogan
wrote
. Aella responded: “I’d love that!”
There are also signs that the name change itself may be short-lived.
“After seeing your work I don’t think naming this project AELLA is crazy at all,” Hogan
wrote
. “If you’re open to it, could we have your blessing to change the name back?”
Aella
responded
that he was welcome to, though “it might be confusing/googleable issues for people tho.”
She suggested an alternative: “maybe some mild modification AELLA-B or something idk?”
Read the original article on
Business Insider
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering Business news.
