Assets and Liabilities
October 9th, 2007Last month on Craigslist.com, someone who described herself as a “spectacularly beautiful” 25-year-old placed a personal ad seeking a husband who made at least $500,000 a year, because “$250,000 won’t get me to Central Park West.”
As her post hit the blogs, it received a scathing response from a man who said he fit her description and told her that her proposition was a bad business deal. “In economic terms, you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset,” he wrote, because “your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity.”
(Taken from the New York Times)
Her Ad: 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.
His Response:
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 crappy 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 sense to “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.
Can you say ‘owned‘?
I love his rather useful suggestion towards the end of the reply: “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.” Wise words well spoken.
Actually, if you really look at her “proposition”, she isn’t merely just a depreciating asset; she’s a liability. Not all people agree with this, but author Robert Kiyosaki redefined the definition of assets and liabilities in his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, stating that “assets are anything that generate money … liabilities are anything that consume money.”
Gold-diggers? Definitely liabilities.
Let this serve as a stellar exemplary warning to all gold-diggers and women wanting to marry for money—they’re getting smarter. Just so you know.
Women like that gives us a bad name! What ever happened to people marrying for love? Or is that very 1900s? Has being spoon fed fairy stories of handsome princes addled my brains?
I find it amusing actually; obviously I only know of this person from what you’ve quoted but… her attitude is appalling! ‘Beautiful looks’ certainly won’t counteract that. The poor man that marries her will need a prenuptial contract; detailing her that she’ll receive barely anything if they divorce. I wonder if she’d stick around for the marriage or not.
I am actually fairly flabbergasted! There isn’t any way that I would leech off a partner as such, which is basically what she is proposing. I’ll be your dinner date, you can fund my shopping trips and lifestyle.
Well and truly ‘owned’ by that man, who could have been far harsher.
Reply: Indeed! At the very least, if you’re going to demand your husband makes 500K a year, be sure that you make that much yourself. It’s like a beggar refusing to accept anything less than five dollars - Beggars can’t be choosers. Woman like that irk me to no end. Where is your dignity? And like you mentioned, what ever happened to marrying for love?
October 9th, 2007 at 12:57 pmI may care about money, but it definitely isn’t my number one priority when it comes to marriage! That girl needs to realize that beauty isn’t everything, and it isn’t a definite prerequisite to a rich husband.
Reply: Definitely, I totally agree. Some people need a huge priority adjustment!
October 9th, 2007 at 3:08 pmWhile I am appalled and I am also quite speechless. Is she for real? I think all he would have needed to do was say his suggestion about finding her own way to make money and be done with it. What is so wrong with being independent and not having to rely on someone else for the things you desire?
October 9th, 2007 at 4:17 pmAt first I thought the woman’s “ad” was a joke - then I read through it and realized that she was actually being SERIOUS, unless I’m missing some major satire here.
The guy’s response was awesome, too. There’s a reason he makes a half-million a year ;) It’s amazing how you can put two responses side by side and the level of intelligence of one will just completely overpower that of the other.
October 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pmI 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?
We may never know.
Reply: Hahaha, I hope I never know!
October 9th, 2007 at 11:51 pmOn a different note, for some reason Akismet thinks your comments are spam! ERGH.
I could help myself laughing at this woman, especially because she seems to be serious (which is quite scary). She really just wants to sell herself to someone (as the man said in his answer). I understand that wants nice life, without money worries, but she might have more luck if she had slightly different approach in founding a husband.
Somehow I doubt she realizes at all what she’s doing. I was just wondering what she was going to do in this marriage, I mean else that being pretty wife. Because marriage isn’t just woman being pretty and using husband’s Visa. Well I guess she just believes that money is only thing that makes happy.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:32 amOWNED. Like, totally.
For some reason, I feel like the the lady who posted that “ad” is just waiting for a 500k-a-year-prince to take her away. O_o;
I love the guy’s response, hahaha. Did this lady reply back to that?
Reply: Not that I’ve heard of. It’d be interesting to see what she’d say to that. I mean, what can she say? :P
October 10th, 2007 at 2:26 pmShe’s actually quite cool about it and (amazingly) literate. She went about it in a great way for a typically superficial girl like her.
But that was an amazing response! Oh no I’m attracted to the guy.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:48 pmShe’s superficial but at least “she admits it”. Screw that! She says it as if that made her incredibly superficial ad any more acceptable. If I cared about money as much as she does, then I’d be looking to be a lawyer, investment banker or doctor myself, instead of just waiting for someone else to work his arse off and then I’d just marry him for the money. I don’t understand how someone could go that low, as publicly announcing that she’d marry for money and not for love. Like amber said, has it gone out of fashion?
I loved his reply though, totally pwned.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:18 pmhttp://tinyurl.com/29p7jj
Saw this today, and thought of you. :)
October 13th, 2007 at 3:31 pmFucking owned!! Completely. Awesome response.
December 28th, 2007 at 12:16 pm