To some rich and powerful men being celibate and not "getting any" would make him feel like he was a failure. To them what was the point in amassing power?
The problem I have with this is the pretense of the wife and perfect family et al. Men that want the playboy lifestyle should ditch the wife, pay the money and go play. Sex is what keeps some (most) men from becoming really morose and melancholic. Even in a long term relationship a boredom factor can cause psychological issues. A women wouldn't understand. That is why there is a war between the sexes....
To me, the premise makes no sense. My life has been successful from my point of view but it never encompassed any ambition to grow wealthy and powerful just so I could have sexual conquests. I just do not understand those men (and maybe a few women). Maybe my libido differs from that of other men.
This sentence from your post really got my attention: “Sex is what keeps some (most) men from becoming really morose and melancholic.” As suggested above, sex has never played that big a role in my life (especially now at age 71), so I will never understand that statement. Those men live in a different world than the one I inhabit.
And I can never see ruining my life just to have sex with someone that appeals to me. That is my definition of stupid.
I agree, though, that these vast differences, especially in degrees of libido, account for the war between the sexes.