Landing a loaded guy has long
been a fantasy for some females. In
fact, your own mother may have
even quipped that it's just as easy to
fall for a wealthy man as it is a poor
one. And high-income dudes (those
earning $104,000 and up, as defined
by the Tax Foundation Group in
Washington, DC) are on our radar
even more thanks to such shows as
The Hills, Gossip Girl, and The Millionaire
Matchmaker.
Plus, statistically, they're on the
rise. According to the 2007 Wealth
Report, there are more richies in the
world than ever: 9.5 million people
are earning at least $1 million annually,
and 94,970 are pulling in at least
$30 million each year. Here, the lowdown
on boys with mad bank.
Many Aren't Making Money the Old-Fashioned Way
In the past, you would expect ambitious
moneymakers to be MBA holders firmly
entrenched in the financial world. "These
days, though many young guys work for
big-risk, big-reward hedge funds, more and
more are successfully combining their creativity
with their technological savvy," says
Haitao Li, PhD, professor of finance at the
University of Michigan. Here are some high-profile
wealthy Web entrepreneurs.
Mark Zuckerberg, 23, founder of Facebook...$1.5 billion
Andrew Gower, 29, founder of Runescape...$216 million
Chad Hurley, 30, cofounder of You Tube...$300 million
Andrew Michael, 29, founder of FastHosts...$87 million
You'll Find Them at Hotel Bars and Upscale Steak Houses
"When rich guys travel, they stay at posh hotels because they
expect the best of everything," says Janis Spindel, matchmaker
for wealthy professionals. And at
dinner, they don't settle for anything less
than grade-A beef, so four-star steak houses are prime ground for high-powered business
types. Before sitting down to rack up the bill (on the company expense account, of course), they'll probably hit the bar first.
They Live in Some Surprising Places
The research firm Teasley ranked the
following United States cities as having
the best ratio of rich, single men
to women.
1. San Francisco Bay area
2. Anchorage, Alaska
3. Washington, D.C./Baltimore
4. Sheboygan, Wisconsin
5. Naples, Florida
6. Minneapolis/Saint Paul
7. Rochester, Minnesota
8. Boston
9. Fort Walton Beach, Florida
10. Dallas
They Have Gold-Digger Radar
Most people want to be loved for who they
are, not what they do. And
that includes wealthy men. "Gold diggers do not give off
a cute vibe," says one successful 27-year-old
investment banker. "They feign interest
in your profession, only hang around when
you're headed to the most exclusive
restaurant or club, and then often invite nine
of their closest friends to tag along."
They're Naughty!
High-income men are the group most likely
to use the Web for adult entertainment,
such as porn, according to the Luxury Institute.
And 75 percent of wealthy men from a
study by Prince and Associates and
wealth consultant Hannah Shaw Grove said
that more frequent sex and more partners
are two benefits of being rich; 33 percent
are even members of the mile-high club.
They Feel Entitled to Arm Candy…
Yeah, it may sound shallow, but according
to Donna Spangler, author of How to Get
a Rich Man, cashed-up guys think they deserve to be with trophy women, or women they deem prizeworthy. Says Spangler: "They want you to be extremely
beautiful, be able to plan social schedules,
and have good manners."
...But They Don't
Want to Marry
a Dummy Either
Eighty-nine percent of high-achieving (and
presumably high-earning) men report
that they marry or would like to marry a
woman who is just as or more intelligent
than they are, says Christine Whelan, PhD,
author of Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women. Also, 92 percent of men who describe themselves as "successful" or "very successful" say they are more
attracted to women who are also kicking
ass in their careers. Go you.
Brunettes Pull More Cash-Flush Dudes
Blond is reputed to be the sexiest hair color,
but according to a survey by Lycos, 62
percent of the world's top 100 billionaires'
wives and girlfriends are brunettes. What's
still unclear: whether these rich men seek
out darker-haired women or if there are just
more of them out there (fair hair is rarer).
They Pony Up, So to Speak
Polo Ralph Lauren is the brand most likely
to be purchased by wealthy male shoppers
when buying goodies for themselves.
The rest of the list includes
Calvin Klein,
Armani, Coach, and Burberry.
