Former McCandless Group Models Say Payments Stopped After Ownership Change

Former McCandless Group Models Say Payments Stopped After Ownership Change

Australian surfer Ellie-Jean Coffey, a former McCandless model

Former models and creators of the McCandless Group say they have not been paid since around January 2026, months after Steve Pammenter acquired the company in summer 2025. According to their accounts, the company's websites kept operating and, they allege, kept earning revenue through the payment processor CCBill. At least fifty models are reportedly comparing notes in a group chat.

This sort of move is business is often referred to as a rug-pull.

Pammenter, now McCandless Group's CEO, previously co-founded Global Personals and White Label Dating. Global Personals ceased trading in 2024 and is in liquidation. In June 2026 he launched WhiteLabelFans, which Global Dating Insights described as allowing for the launch of “fully branded fan subscription sites,”

Australian surfer and creator Ellie-Jean Coffey is among those who say they went unpaid. A September 23, 2026 email from Pammenter argues her contract remains in force through 2029. It says “This is what we believe the contract means” and lists “these are the breaches we believe occurred.” It also warns of “the consequences we may pursue,” and says any breach damages could reach “six or seven figures.”

Shore Thang, a Los Angeles model management company, has a long-running dispute with McCandless Group founder Nick McCandless. Creative director Zachary Elliot said of the letter: “I’m not worried about Steve Pammenter,”

If You Create Through McCandless Group, Read This

Short version: several former McCandless models say the money stopped arriving in January 2026, and some say they're still being told their contracts are active.

What the models say: after the company changed hands in summer 2025, payments dried up even though the sites stayed live. Ellie-Jean Coffey received a September 23 email from the new CEO, Steve Pammenter, stating “This is what we believe the contract means” and arguing her deal runs through 2029.

Ellie-Jean Coffey has not been paid since January 2026 and maintains that the contract is only valid if earnings from her former website are current and being actively paid.

What the email also says: it lists “these are the breaches we believe occurred” and mentions damages that could reach “six or seven figures,” which the letter itself describes as a preliminary assessment, not an established figure.

What to do:

• Keep your contract, payout statements, and correspondence.
• Don't sign or reply to demand letters without legal advice.
• Note which platforms are still hosting your content.

How We Got Here: McCandless Group, 2020–2026

• • 2020: Zachary Elliot of Shore Thang and Nick McCandless have a cordial call. Shore Thang was a boutique management firm; McCandless ran a software platform for creators. A dispute over talent follows.
  • 2021: Shore Thang files three small claims cases in California, per public court records.
  • 2022: Shore Thang sues McCandless in U.S. federal court.

• 2024: Global Personals, co-founded by Steve Pammenter, ceases trading and enters liquidation. The letter from Pammenter cites a writ obtained in July 2024.
• Summer 2025: Pammenter acquires McCandless Group.
• Around January 2026: Former models say payments stopped.
• June 2026: Pammenter launches WhiteLabelFans.
• September 23, 2026: Pammenter's email to Ellie-Jean Coffey asserts the contract continues through 2029 and threatens claims.

Q: What are former McCandless models alleging?
That payments stopped around January 2026, after the summer 2025 acquisition, while the company's sites continued operating. These are the models' accounts and haven't been decided in any court. There is a group chat with more than fifty former McCandless models discussing current events.

Q: What does the new CEO's letter say?
A September 23, 2026 email to Ellie-Jean Coffey argues her contract continues through 2029. It states “we will not limit our response to defending against your demand.”

Q: Who is Steve Pammenter?
He is McCandless Group's CEO and co-founded Global Personals and White Label Dating. Global Personals ceased trading in 2024 and is in liquidation. He recently launched WhiteLabelFans.

Q: Where does Shore Thang fit in?
Model management company Shore Thang has been in a multi-year dispute with Nick McCandless, with court filings from 2021 and 2022.

Q: Have the parties commented?
Neither Pammenter nor McCandless responded to requests for comment.

At the time of this writing, former attorney for McCandless Group Gerard Fox and Nick McCandless are currently suing each other in Florida.