Posted on 10/14/2007 11:05:39 AM PDT by blam
Gold digger finds money men unappreciative
By Tim Shipman in Washington
Last Updated: 12:20am BST 14/10/2007
Money can't buy you love, but it might get you a "spectacularly beautiful" woman - as long as you think she's worth it.
In a move that could have come straight from the television show Sex and the City, a lovelorn American woman has sparked a debate about the true value of good looks by advertising on the internet for a husband earning at least $500,000 a year.
However, the 25-year-old, who was direct about her gold-digging objective, has received a harsh lesson not just in the nature of love, but in the evaluation of business deals. Having talked the language of money, she now finds the financiers who would be her likeliest suitors comparing her offer to a share transaction - and one with diminishing returns.
In comments that have become the talk of Wall Street's champagne bars, one investment banker described her proposal as "a crappy business deal". He pointed out: "It is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful. So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset."
The New York-based woman, who has not been named, placed her advertisement, which did not include a photograph, on the American website Craigslist.com, best known as a marketplace for unwanted household objects.
She said: "I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million," before asking: "Where do you single rich men hang out?" In a plea for understanding, she added: "Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up front about it."
The response of one banker, however, was withering: "What you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. But here's the rub - your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity."
He added: "So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold. It doesn't make good business sense to 'buy you', which is what you're asking, so I'd rather lease." That might mean, he said, dating but not marriage.
A Craigslist spokesman said: "It does look as if the [woman's] post was made sincerely." He disclosed that the woman had received more than 40 replies before she removed the advertisement.
James Scott, a trader, said: "It's causing great amusement. Frankly, I think she has priced herself out of the market. She is a depreciating asset, which means there is all the more reason to strike while the iron is hot."
A Beauty.
That’s just awesome.
This is just another example (if we really needed another) of the repugnant cynicism that is so pervasive nowadays: the postmodern view that love is a myth, and marriage is just another “arrangement.”
But in the real world, this is precisely what happens - women trade their looks and sex for the accomplishments and capital gained by men. Old Henry the K once said (I paraphrase here) that power was the best aphrodisiac, and he’s right. If you really want to see this at its most primitive primate level, teach a while at a local high school and see who gets what and how, if you know what I mean. Despite all the changes in technology and culture, the little old monkey inside us is still shaping the dating habits of teenagers. The willowy model types are still sought after by most of the boys. The best basketball players are still sought after by most of the girls. After that, a crude and cruel trading system occurs in which girls are rated on looks and boys on power and influence.
Since I’m a teacher surrounded by all of this, and since they sometimes come to me with the typical angst of adolesence, I always remind the girls that their looks will fade, so they had better concentrate their efforts on character, morals, and intelligence. I always remind the boys that power and influence in the world of men is a lot different than it is in the world of the teenager, and they had better concentrate their efforts on character, morals, and intelligence.
Having said that... many years ago I went to an online dating site and contacted a few women. One was a woman from Tapei whose highly specific list of what she wanted in a husband filled three screens. I wrote back: “I’m very sorry that I could only fulfill 97.3 percent of your qualifications. I will endeavour to work more diligently so that I might make the grade next time.” I signed myself, “Mr. 97.3 Percent.” She actually wrote back and forth for a while until she understood that I actually had only about 40 percent of those qualifications. LOL
Half a million for a hooker? Call an escort service and save $499,800. (Actually, I’m not sure about what escort services charge, I only know what I read)
Whew! When I first read this, I thought my recently widowed step mother was looking for her next victim, but the age is too, too young to have been her. :o)
Blech. eBay/. It sounds like a freshman college exercise or something, but it illustrates how silly some folks are.
In my experience, beautiful women don’t need to advertise.
These types of women really have to bite the bullet and aim for suitors with (1) lots of money, but (2) the suitor must also be old enough and/or sick enough (and ideally lacking in significant heirs) to calculate that his exposure to her depreciation will be limited.
I bet it was Helen Thomas!
I’ve got to think about this one some more....
I’ve never considered myself to be a “depreciating asset” to my husband. I’ve earned him more money and saved him more money over the years than I’ve cost him. By far!
Does this mean that now that we’ve had a financial set-back (we started a business two years ago and are going through our first set of “growing pains”) that he’s no longer an asset to ME and I need to quickly cut my losses?
What about a spouse that ends up disabled or loses their marbles? Throw ‘em on the trash heap because they’re worthless now? Should I have dumped him after his first or second major spinal surgery? Decisions, decisions!
Lots to consider here before I make me next move. Time’s a wastin’! We’re both depreciating at an alarming rate!
The financial lesson of the three F's. If it flies, floats, or fornicates, its cheaper to rent. So if you are going to get married, it best be for more than just financials and fornication.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Actually, her mistake was not in her honesty, but her marketing. She should have tried “lease, with an option to buy”.
Historically, marriage for wealthy men was done with a different protocol than was the taking of a mistress, and this is seen in the responses she got. Marriage was intended to increase the fortunes; whereas a mistress was a luxury item.
That is, you would get an arranged marriage with a woman who was roughly equal to you in her estates, and such a marriage was not based in love, but as a business arrangement.
Outside of marriage, a mistress was for sex, and often love, but with a poorer woman who would be somewhat elevated financially, but who would have no share in the man’s estate, inheriting nothing.
For example, in old New Orleans, marriages among the wealthy were all arranged, and were purely business deals. Young, wealthy married men would then attend the “Octoroon Ball”, a very formal and prestigious event in which debutantes who were 1/8th black would hopefully be selected to become the mistress of one of the wealthy young men.
A lucky girl selected as a mistress would then be socially elevated to the top of black society, live in a fashionable apartment in downtown New Orleans, and live the good life. Any children she produced were “bar sinister” members of his family, and would also be taken care of. Being 1/16th black would be no impediment to business success up North, so they would be schooled and established as entrepreneurs, and keep their ties with their father’s family.
Some of those familial business relationships still exist between the old families of the South and the North.
Such mistresses were kept for life, which was part of the deal, and would never want, which would be a social embarrassment to his family. Social affairs were divided between those in which he would take his wife and those where he would take his mistress.
By today’ standards, a mistress of this fashion would only be kept by someone with many millions of dollars, though our society is far less accepting, and mistresses are treated with far less dignity than they once were. Today, every element of such a relationship would have to be contractual.
However, with some research, the young lady might present herself in a more appropriate manner to a wealthy man, so that they both might benefit from such a relationship.
http://gawker.com/news/easy-money/how-to-marry-a-rich-man-304824.php
Here is the would-be gold-digger’s post:
Reply to: pers-431649184@craigslist.org Date: 2007-09-25, 11:07AM EDT
What am I doing wrong?
Okay, I’m tired of beating around the bush. I’m a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I’m articulate and classy. I’m not from New York. I’m looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don’t think I’m overreaching at all.
Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that’s where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won’t get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she’s not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?
Here are my questions specifically:
- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms
-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won’t hurt my feelings
-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I’m 25)?
- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I’ve seen really ‘plain jane’ boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I’ve seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What’s the story there?
- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?
- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY
Please hold your insults - I’m putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I’m being up front about it. I wouldn’t be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn’t able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.
A plea to any passerby who may read this:
Please abandon and never look back upon the phrase, “Here’s the rub.” I loathe with with a burning passion!!
That will be all.... ;)
The full response:
>> THE ANSWER
>> Dear Pers-431649184:
>> I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully
>> about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament.
>> Firstly, I’m not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your
>> bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here’s how I
>> see it.
>>
>> Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple
>> a cr@ppy business deal. Here’s why. Cutting through all the B.S., what
>> you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I
>> bring my money. Fine, simple. But here’s the rub, your looks will fade and my
>> money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely
>> that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won’t
>> be getting any more beautiful!
>>
>> So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning
>> asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation
>> accelerates! Let me explain, you’re 25 now and will likely stay pretty
>> hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins
>> in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!
>>
>> So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a
>> buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn’t make good business
>> senseto “buy you” (which is what you’re asking) so I’d rather lease. In case
>> you think I’m being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were
>> to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out.. It’s
>> as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.
>>
>> Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets.
>> So, I wonder why a girl as “articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful”
>> as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to
>> believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K
>> hasn’t found you, if not only for a tryout..
>>
>> By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then
>> we wouldn’t need to have this difficult conversation.
>>
>> With all that said, I must say you’re going about it the right way.
>> Classic “pump and dump.”
>> I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of
>> lease, let me know.
Strictly speaking for much of human history, marriage has been mostly an arraignment - hence the prevelance of arrainged marriages. It was only towards the end of the 19th century or so that romantic love became the main driving point of marriage for most.
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