The article paints Jones as a ubiquitous player in the branding of adult sites, of which he owns 30. His Glendale, Ariz., company, Lightspeed Media Corp. maintains the sites with 15 employees and has revenue of $5 million.
Jones, who adopted the trade name of Steve Lightspeed from chatroom conversations and has been an avid viewer of online adult since its beginnings, told the Journal that his company nets $1 million. He would not disclose his personal income.
Jones also told the Journal that despite his larger-than-life presence at adult trade shows — usually with a baseball jersey emblazoned with "Lightspeed" — he keeps a low profile in his private life.
"I don't have a jet," he said. "I don't have a yacht. I have a nice house. I tell everybody, 'I work for a living.' I don't drive a $100,000 car. I drive an old, beat-up minivan."
The 39-year-old married father of two launched his first subscription site, called Lightspeed University, in 1999. By 2000, the site generated enough income that Jones was able to shut down a consulting business after another stint at a software firm.
"He went quickly to the top in an industry where that doesn't happen often," attorney Lawrence G. Walters told the Journal.
Jones said his profession is an honorable one, despite the constant criticism Lightspeed Media receives from the use of younger-looking adult models. The company has long used terms such as "barely legal" and "barely 18" in its marketing.
“The problem is public perception," he said. "There's so much misconception about what we do. Everyone thinks we're all involved in every dirty piece of the business. It's really not like that."
Jones’ company is expanding its offerings, the Journal said, with a move into DVD sales.
