How to Date and Marry a Millionaire – Prices & Cost

Ballpark Estimate: Free to $100,000+

The Allure of Money

Do you follow the old saying that it’s just as easy to fall in love with someone rich as it is with someone poor? With the right resources behind you, this just may be the truth these days. At least that’s the premise behind a flurry of dating services that have cropped up today and promise to match ambitious women with very wealthy mates.

Throughout the decades women have traditionally been drawn to men with wealth and power. But actually meeting such men can be challenging if the women themselves don’t come from equal means. At the same time, many of these rich men would love to meet beautiful young women but are so busy working that they don’t have time to socialize. The same scenario holds true in reverse, with single young men looking for older, rich women, and rich women who want to mingle with young, physically attractive men.

That’s why some quick-thinking entrepreneurs have recently stepped into the equation, offering a variety of ways to bring wealthy clients together with very attractive singles of the opposite sex in the hopes that some of these matches will develop into serious relationships. While such efforts have been the topic of much controversy lately, if finding a wealthy mate is your goal, they also may be your best bet to leading a life of luxury without having to actually work for it.

A Growing Trend

A woman’s desire to catch a rich man has long been the subject of movies, books and television shows. In fact, Marilyn Monroe actually first found her niche with her role in the comedy “How to Marry a Millionaire.” Since then, times may have changed some but the concept of a woman wanting to gain material comfort and wealth through marriage still remains the same. The idea may even be growing stronger today, as more women want to have it all, and “all” includes a large bank account, fine jewels, high-class cars and all of the material comforts that come with marrying someone who has found, or inherited, success.

There is even a popular reality television series on Bravo called Millionaire Matchmaker, which explores this concept and even takes it a step further by providing total makeovers for wealthy male participants to help them refine their images before matching them with eager young women and seeing where the relationship takes them.

Dating Services

While only a select few men and women will ever be selected to participate in this reality television show, rich people who like the idea – and are willing to swing the high price — can try it in real life through the Millionaire Matchmaker’s host’s own dating service. Called the Millionaire’s Club, the service has three locations, in Los Angeles, New York and South Florida.

To join this exclusive club, men must meet some ambitious income standards and more importantly, be willing to fork over the membership fee, which starts at $12,000 for basic services, including image consultations and advice, and goes on up to as much as an additional $50,000 for more personalized treatment and pairings. The women who want to meet wealthy men can join for free, but it is not easy to be accepted. Female applicants must meet some stringent standards, including demonstrating their sincerity and their desire to meet someone successful without being a gold digger. (Although this may be a bit of a fine line to walk, given the nature of the business.)

For wealthy men with unlimited money at their disposal, another option is going with one of the exclusive services like Serious Matchmaking, Inc., that specialize in matching successful singles with others who meet the same high standards. The cost of such personalized service doesn’t come cheap. A half-hour phone consultation at Serious Matchmaking is a non-refundable $1,000 simply to determine if you are even a good fit for the service’s clientele, and personalized matches run from $25,000 to $100,000 a piece.

So personalized dating services that cater exclusively to finding mates for wealthy clients can cost anywhere from free to join on up to $100,000 for just one well-chosen match.

Special Events

In today’s fast-paced world, if you don’t have time to wait to weed through many bad dates in order to find your future mate, you may want to jump start the process by meeting multiple singles all in one place. That’s the idea of some of the popular speed dating events, a few of which have recently focused themselves specifically on the elite population. For instance, a recent New York City special event called Natural Selection: Rich Guys and Hot Girls was geared to please millionaire men who wanted to meet beautiful women. For a $500 application fee for men and proof of income (which for those over 30 years old must be $500,000 or more), participants had a chance to rotate through encounters with a variety of beautiful female attendees. The price for women, though, was just $30 and the entry requirement for them was based solely on looks; income and education were not considered at all. And since wealthy women deserve to have their day, too, the same sponsors of the first speed dating event also recently hosted Natural Selection Speed Date II: Sugar Mamas & Boy Toys,” to bring together 20 rich women over 35 with 20 good looking younger men.

Such one-time special events cost from $30 to $500 to attend.

Another way to pick up the pace with your search is through an online class such as those offered through the Learning Annex. For $14.99, you can view a 2.5 hour video called How to Marry a Millionaire right on your computer that gives you the in’s and out’s of how to find and attract a mate with lots of money. Many similar classes and workshops are offered periodically in cities across the country. The cost can vary, but is often in the range of $50 to $100 for these options.

Insiders tips on marrying the rich can cost anywhere from $14.99 for an online video to $500 for a more formal class.

Special Events

If you have some time to invest on your quest, you may want to turn to some of the many dating websites that claim to match participants with wealthy mates. These work in the same way that regular online dating sites do, providing a database of potential dates, which users can browse at their leisure. Some sites also make recommendations based on the criteria you select. A few of the popular options out there include Millionaire Match, Sugar Daddie, Seeking a Sugar Daddy, and Millionaire Dating. Further, if looks don’t matter at all, you may also want to check out Marry An Ugly Millionaire.

If income level is of the utmost importance to you, however, then one word of caution is in order. Some of the sites define “millionaire” differently, so you want to check out the definition used to ensure that the matches you get will of the caliber needed to achieve your lifestyle goals.

Some of these services are free for average women and men who want to be included in their database to meet wealthy participants. The cost for wealthy members starts at about $100 a year and goes on up about $500 a year or more.

Generally, the more you invest in this venture, the more you are likely to be paired with appropriate matches and the more you can expect from the service in terms of suggestions and guidance.

Do It Yourself

If you decide to skip the organized services and events and go it alone, relationship experts offer a host of suggestions for meeting a rich bachelor. These include frequenting art galleries, polo matches, charity auctions and yachting clubs where you are likely to meet a variety of successful people. You may also want to invest in a book or two on meeting a millionaire.

For as little as $10 or $15, you can find a variety of books on this topic.

The main thing, though, in your attempt to meet and marry someone with money is to have fun in the process, and be flexible, since in the greater scheme of things, no matter how little, or how much you spend, you never know when, where or how cupid’s arrow will hit.