10 Photos of Milana Vayntrub: Ex-AT&T Model Sells 'Tastefully Risqué' Snaps, Raising $500K For Fire Victims

The sight of her face, familiar to millions of television viewers across the globe, usually meant a light-hearted, affordable phone plan. But Milana Vayntrub, the actress best known as 'Lily' from the ubiquitous AT&T commercials, has proven that sometimes, the best way to help people is to try something 'ridiculous'—and a little bit flirty.

The 38-year-old star has revealed she crossed the momentous $500,000 mark in funds raised for California wildfire victims, not through traditional charity auctions, but by selling 'tastefully risqué' photos of herself through a novel initiative dubbed Only Philanthropy.

The name itself is a knowing wink at the popular, content-sharing platform, OnlyFans, but Vayntrub's endeavour trades the explicitly amateur adult video content for something far more wholesome: real-world impact.

In fact, Vayntrub was clear from the outset, promising potential donors 'flirty and tastefully risqué' photos of her, while firmly ruling out any nudity. The model and This Is Us alum described the project as "the best thing I've ever been part of' after seeing the tangible human consequences of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.

Speaking about the inspiration on Instagram, Vayntrub acknowledged the immediate, cash-based needs of survivors.

'I had this full-on crazy idea for an experiment,' she wrote. 'After the LA fires this year, I saw that what people really needed was some cash. So I wondered if you and me could try something ridiculous and team up to help the people affected.'

Milana Vayntrub: How A 'Risqué' Experiment Became a Real-World Lifeline

The first person whose life was transformed by Vayntrub's unconventional approach was Bridget Bradley, a single mother whose East Altadena home was destroyed by the deadly Eaton wildfire in January.

Vayntrub launched the initial drive, offering her 'exclusive pictures' to people in exchange for their donations to a GoFundMe page set up for Ms Bradley. The response was immediate and overwhelming. In just four days, the initial donation drive had raised a staggering $170,000.

For Ms Bradley, a mother of three whose family included a then five-year-old son living with Cerebral Palsy, the funds provided a lifeline far beyond the capabilities of most traditional insurance pay-outs. The money helped her cover a year of housing, medical expenses for her son, and even a new car, enabling her to piece her family's life back together after the catastrophe.

As the Only Philanthropy website proudly states, the model is simple: 'We raise money for urgent causes quickly, by offering our generous supporters something a little flirty, a little silly, and with a whole lot of heart.'

Following the stunning success of the first campaign, Vayntrub—who is best known for her role as 'Lily' for the telecommunication company—kicked off a second project during the summer.

This second venture proved even more potent, managing to raise a further $350,000 in just one week. The total figure raised across both projects now stands comfortably over the half-a-million-dollar mark.

The Strategy Behind Milana Vayntrub's Half-Million-Dollar Charity Win

The funds from the second campaign were funnelled to My Tribe Rise, a crucial Altadena-based organisation dedicated to assisting vulnerable fire survivors, including the elderly, disabled, and those who were under-insured.

The massive $350,000 donation was efficiently distributed as direct grants to fire survivors, ensuring the money went straight to those most in need of assistance to 'rebuild their lives.'

The financial figures demonstrate the efficiency of Vayntrub's disruptive philanthropic model. The first two campaigns attracted 3,500 donors, who contributed an average of $120 each. Crucially, the company revealed that this extraordinary half-a-million dollar sum was generated with less than ten hours of work from the 'creators.'

To manage the volume and maintain integrity, the company operates on a tier payment system, with each level of donation 'getting flirtier', according to the site. Donors are also incentivised at the higher end: a $1,000 contribution offers the supporter a chance to receive a signed Polaroid from Vayntrub's shoot.

The company is extremely careful about protecting the content they send out. All digital photos are digitally watermarked with the donor's email address. This measure ensures that if any of the pictures were ever leaked online, the company would know exactly where they originated from, adding a layer of security and accountability to the controversial concept.

Now, with the initial success realised, Vayntrub is looking to expand. The model is exploring new projects and causes for Only Philanthropy, setting her sights on raising money for justice reform, tackling homelessness, supporting LGBTQ+ rights, and climate resilience initiatives.

'We've raised over half a million dollars together this year,' Vayntrub stated, eager for the next phase. 'Now let's grow this into something bigger, stranger, more powerful, with more creators jumping in.'