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How to marry a millionaire
By Xu Wenwen |
December 25, 2009, Friday
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PRETTY girls are flocking to a new "magnate matrimonial matchmaking service" that finds mates (and luxury travel dates) for rich CEOs. A few rich and powerful women, too, seek partners. Xu Wenwen reports.
For the rich man who has everything - except a mate - there's a million-yuan (US$146,425) matchmaking service that promises magnate members two years of opportunities to meet beautiful and talented women.
The Xinxinyuan matrimonial service agency in Hangzhou claims to be the first in China that offers discreet matchmaking for the rich and powerful - Zhejiang Province is known for its exceptionally high number of rich entrepreneurs.
It's throwing a small party this Sunday for 20 men and 20 women; it holds monthly speed-dating parties and claims a 97-percent "success" rate, of at least a temporary match-up.
It's not the only such service in China, or Hangzhou, however. A dating party in Beijing last Sunday charged rich guys 100,000 yuan to attend; there were 21 billionaires (guys) and 22 beautiful women.
Last month in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, more than 10,000 women competed for 18 tickets to a blind-dating party attended by 16 men who are at least millionaires. Ten couples were matched, at least temporarily, a newspaper reported.
In Hangzhou, Xinxinyuan has been matchmaking for six years and has around 300 members - around half are rich men, but there are only a few rich and successful women - the agency won't say how many.
Membership
The other half of the members are young, pretty and smart women who pay the minimum of 20,000 yuan to be able to date rich guys. Some young women are also scouted from outside to meet men's particular tastes. There's a database of 4,000 young women (non-members) who may be called up.
Membership ranges from 20,000 yuan to 1 million yuan and services reflect the membership rate. Some have paid several hundred thousand yuan, but no one has yet paid 1 million, says agency manager Zhou Yan.
What do men want? Definitely not wealthy and successful women, certainly not a peer, but a young, beautiful, tender and malleable lady who looks up to him.
The agency taps its database of pretty, well-educated women with class and arranges blind-date parties for rich eligible bachelors, as well as individual meetings.
The agency even hires professionals to seek an ideal woman outside the database. Magnate members can order a nationwide search for a bride.
The agency's Website (www.xxyuan.com) posts qualifications and requirements of its members and anyone of the opposite sex can express interest. The agency and magnate member assess the candidates and the winning young woman (or man) can take a free trip abroad with the gentleman (or lady).
A 45-year-old businessman plans to invite a young woman to join him in Las Vegas at the end of this month. A 46-year-old female entrepreneur plans to invite a man to go with her to Bali, Indonesia.
It would seem, at least on the surface, that wealthy people, especially men, have no shortage of potential love interests chasing them. Finding a right mate shouldn't be so difficult.
Manager Zhou, who has been a matchmaker for nine years, says rich people don't lack for attention from the opposite sex, but choosing a marriage partner for life is more difficult.
Most male members who sign up are busy CEOs, board chairman or bosses of some kind. Their problems in finding a mate stem from their narrow life circle. During the day they meet colleagues, during evenings they again meet colleagues, business partners, waitresses and bar girls.
Rich men want women of social status, but not powerful women - they fear they might not be treated with tenderness and adoration. Women in business circles are out.
Waitresses don't cut it for serious relationships.
Rich men are also concerned that females chasing them only want their money, they're gold diggers.
Good looks, good education and equal social status are the most important qualifications. Lack of sophistication is usually okay but emotional connection is important.
Not surprisingly, rich men in their 50s and in their 30s want the same things in a spouse.
"Bringing good people together is a good thing," says Gu Xiaoming, a sociology professor at Fudan University, "but the disadvantage of blind dates with rich men is that a woman's beauty becomes a commodity."
And what do wealthy and successful women want?
Comparatively, their expectations are much lower. Some insist on rich men but most prefer men of equal social status, such as government officials, doctors and professors.
"They don't need men who are more powerful or richer than them; they prefer men who can follow them," says Zhou. "But this isn't easy to arrange as most men prefer young women."
To become a member, men and women must prove they are single (provide household registry showing marital status or divorce certificate), own a property (provide deeds), fill out an application and state their income - and declare it to be truthful.
"Information on company executives is easy to find on the Internet," says Zhou. "We double check their information to verify their status and get an idea of their income."
Magnates tend to be low-profile and Zhou says their photos are not published on the matchmaking Website. It lists age, height, weight, hobbies and interests. As for the money, it says "extremely generous" or "above 10 million." Photos are replaced by pictures of their luxury cars or scenic spots.
"Rich people are concerned about their privacy and we protect it," says the matchmaker.
For the rich man who has everything - except a mate - there's a million-yuan (US$146,425) matchmaking service that promises magnate members two years of opportunities to meet beautiful and talented women.
The Xinxinyuan matrimonial service agency in Hangzhou claims to be the first in China that offers discreet matchmaking for the rich and powerful - Zhejiang Province is known for its exceptionally high number of rich entrepreneurs.
It's throwing a small party this Sunday for 20 men and 20 women; it holds monthly speed-dating parties and claims a 97-percent "success" rate, of at least a temporary match-up.
It's not the only such service in China, or Hangzhou, however. A dating party in Beijing last Sunday charged rich guys 100,000 yuan to attend; there were 21 billionaires (guys) and 22 beautiful women.
Last month in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, more than 10,000 women competed for 18 tickets to a blind-dating party attended by 16 men who are at least millionaires. Ten couples were matched, at least temporarily, a newspaper reported.
In Hangzhou, Xinxinyuan has been matchmaking for six years and has around 300 members - around half are rich men, but there are only a few rich and successful women - the agency won't say how many.
Membership
The other half of the members are young, pretty and smart women who pay the minimum of 20,000 yuan to be able to date rich guys. Some young women are also scouted from outside to meet men's particular tastes. There's a database of 4,000 young women (non-members) who may be called up.
Membership ranges from 20,000 yuan to 1 million yuan and services reflect the membership rate. Some have paid several hundred thousand yuan, but no one has yet paid 1 million, says agency manager Zhou Yan.
What do men want? Definitely not wealthy and successful women, certainly not a peer, but a young, beautiful, tender and malleable lady who looks up to him.
The agency taps its database of pretty, well-educated women with class and arranges blind-date parties for rich eligible bachelors, as well as individual meetings.
The agency even hires professionals to seek an ideal woman outside the database. Magnate members can order a nationwide search for a bride.
The agency's Website (www.xxyuan.com) posts qualifications and requirements of its members and anyone of the opposite sex can express interest. The agency and magnate member assess the candidates and the winning young woman (or man) can take a free trip abroad with the gentleman (or lady).
A 45-year-old businessman plans to invite a young woman to join him in Las Vegas at the end of this month. A 46-year-old female entrepreneur plans to invite a man to go with her to Bali, Indonesia.
It would seem, at least on the surface, that wealthy people, especially men, have no shortage of potential love interests chasing them. Finding a right mate shouldn't be so difficult.
Manager Zhou, who has been a matchmaker for nine years, says rich people don't lack for attention from the opposite sex, but choosing a marriage partner for life is more difficult.
Most male members who sign up are busy CEOs, board chairman or bosses of some kind. Their problems in finding a mate stem from their narrow life circle. During the day they meet colleagues, during evenings they again meet colleagues, business partners, waitresses and bar girls.
Rich men want women of social status, but not powerful women - they fear they might not be treated with tenderness and adoration. Women in business circles are out.
Waitresses don't cut it for serious relationships.
Rich men are also concerned that females chasing them only want their money, they're gold diggers.
Good looks, good education and equal social status are the most important qualifications. Lack of sophistication is usually okay but emotional connection is important.
Not surprisingly, rich men in their 50s and in their 30s want the same things in a spouse.
"Bringing good people together is a good thing," says Gu Xiaoming, a sociology professor at Fudan University, "but the disadvantage of blind dates with rich men is that a woman's beauty becomes a commodity."
And what do wealthy and successful women want?
Comparatively, their expectations are much lower. Some insist on rich men but most prefer men of equal social status, such as government officials, doctors and professors.
"They don't need men who are more powerful or richer than them; they prefer men who can follow them," says Zhou. "But this isn't easy to arrange as most men prefer young women."
To become a member, men and women must prove they are single (provide household registry showing marital status or divorce certificate), own a property (provide deeds), fill out an application and state their income - and declare it to be truthful.
"Information on company executives is easy to find on the Internet," says Zhou. "We double check their information to verify their status and get an idea of their income."
Magnates tend to be low-profile and Zhou says their photos are not published on the matchmaking Website. It lists age, height, weight, hobbies and interests. As for the money, it says "extremely generous" or "above 10 million." Photos are replaced by pictures of their luxury cars or scenic spots.
"Rich people are concerned about their privacy and we protect it," says the matchmaker.
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