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 […]