From today's Journal:
The Rich Libido
Money, as the Beatles once said, canât buy you love. But according to a new survey, wealth can bring you better sex.
A survey released today by Prince & Associates in collaboration with wealth consultant Hannah Grove found that 70% of todayâs multimillionaires said being wealthy gave them âbetter sex.â (You can request a free copy via email here.) A majority also said wealth gave them âmore adventurous and exoticâ sex lives.
The survey polled nearly 600 men and women with net worths of more than $30 million and a mean net worth of $89 million. While not scientific, the survey is large for such a wealthy group and offers a rare glimpse of the sex lives of todayâs rich. The survey polled men and women who were the financial âprincipals,â meaning they were the primary decision makers in their households.
âWhat this tells us is that, on the whole, more money equals more magic in bed,â says Prince & Associates founder Russ Prince.
The surveyâs most-surprising findings relate to the impact that money has on the sex lives of women. More than 80% of both the men and women surveyed were married, although the womenâs wealth was independent of their husbandsâ. Among the respondents, nearly three-quarters of the women surveyed (about 150) said theyâd had affairs, compared to about 50% of the men. While the male numbers are in keeping with findings for the broader American population, the figure for women is almost twice as high as the national average, according to sex researchers. (More than half of all the men and women surveyed had been divorced at least once.)
Fully 63% of rich men said wealth gave them âbetter sex,â which they defined as having more-frequent sex with more partners. That compares to 88% of women who said more money gave them better sex, which they defined as âhigher qualityâ sex.
âThis tells us that the women as a whole receive more sexual benefits from wealth than men,â says Ms. Grove.
The women in the survey were almost twice as likely than their male counterparts to have âmore adventurous and exoticâ sex lives than they did before they were wealthy. They were also more than twice as likely than men to be members of the âmile high club,â meaning theyâve had sex on an airplane. Fully 72% of the female respondents said they were mile-high-club members, compared to 33% of the men. (Both numbers are larger than the norms even for the wealthy for a simple reason: All the survey respondents owned jets or shares in jets.)
Ian Kerner, a New York-based sex therapist, says the study sheds new light on the links between money and sex. One reason that wealth would equate to better sex, he says, is that money helps alleviate many of the daily stresses that can inhibit a coupleâs sex life.
âI see in my practice that financial stress can have huge impacts on the libido and can cause general dissatisfaction,â he says. âWhen you strip away those elements of financial hardship and stress, that can make for better sex. This shows that sex and money are very intertwined.â
The wealthy also tend to travel more, leading to more-exotic and adventurous sex lives, Mr. Kerner says. âThere is just more stimuli and luxury in their lives, so that would increase libido.â
As for the women, the researchers said the findings show that money brings a welcome sense of control and power.
âWomen find wealth to be extremely empowering,â says Ms. Grove. âThey have let their confidence and sense of purpose in other areas feed their sex life. They are getting what they want.â
Mr. Kerner says the increased sexual activity by wealthy women doesnât reflect the âpool boyâ syndrome commonly portrayed in the media: bored young trophy wives having affairs with household help. Todayâs rich women are powerful businesspeople who feel secure in having relationships outside their marriage â mostly with professional colleagues.
âWeâre not talking about the woman whoâs home with two kids and whoâs dependent on her husband,â Mr. Kerner says. âThose women are more likely to worry about the consequences of having other relationships.â
He added that especially for women, sex is closely linked to self-esteem. And since wealth usually brings greater self-esteem, it can improve a womanâs sex life.
âFor the minute percentage of women who are that wealthy, this wealth can be a big ego booster and allow them to feel very comfortable and relaxed about sex,â he says. âThey have a strong sense of identity and they know they donât have to be inhibited about communicating their needs. Itâs about the confidence and power and opportunity that comes with having a lot of wealth.â
The Rich Libido
Money, as the Beatles once said, canât buy you love. But according to a new survey, wealth can bring you better sex.
A survey released today by Prince & Associates in collaboration with wealth consultant Hannah Grove found that 70% of todayâs multimillionaires said being wealthy gave them âbetter sex.â (You can request a free copy via email here.) A majority also said wealth gave them âmore adventurous and exoticâ sex lives.
The survey polled nearly 600 men and women with net worths of more than $30 million and a mean net worth of $89 million. While not scientific, the survey is large for such a wealthy group and offers a rare glimpse of the sex lives of todayâs rich. The survey polled men and women who were the financial âprincipals,â meaning they were the primary decision makers in their households.
âWhat this tells us is that, on the whole, more money equals more magic in bed,â says Prince & Associates founder Russ Prince.
The surveyâs most-surprising findings relate to the impact that money has on the sex lives of women. More than 80% of both the men and women surveyed were married, although the womenâs wealth was independent of their husbandsâ. Among the respondents, nearly three-quarters of the women surveyed (about 150) said theyâd had affairs, compared to about 50% of the men. While the male numbers are in keeping with findings for the broader American population, the figure for women is almost twice as high as the national average, according to sex researchers. (More than half of all the men and women surveyed had been divorced at least once.)
Fully 63% of rich men said wealth gave them âbetter sex,â which they defined as having more-frequent sex with more partners. That compares to 88% of women who said more money gave them better sex, which they defined as âhigher qualityâ sex.
âThis tells us that the women as a whole receive more sexual benefits from wealth than men,â says Ms. Grove.
The women in the survey were almost twice as likely than their male counterparts to have âmore adventurous and exoticâ sex lives than they did before they were wealthy. They were also more than twice as likely than men to be members of the âmile high club,â meaning theyâve had sex on an airplane. Fully 72% of the female respondents said they were mile-high-club members, compared to 33% of the men. (Both numbers are larger than the norms even for the wealthy for a simple reason: All the survey respondents owned jets or shares in jets.)
Ian Kerner, a New York-based sex therapist, says the study sheds new light on the links between money and sex. One reason that wealth would equate to better sex, he says, is that money helps alleviate many of the daily stresses that can inhibit a coupleâs sex life.
âI see in my practice that financial stress can have huge impacts on the libido and can cause general dissatisfaction,â he says. âWhen you strip away those elements of financial hardship and stress, that can make for better sex. This shows that sex and money are very intertwined.â
The wealthy also tend to travel more, leading to more-exotic and adventurous sex lives, Mr. Kerner says. âThere is just more stimuli and luxury in their lives, so that would increase libido.â
As for the women, the researchers said the findings show that money brings a welcome sense of control and power.
âWomen find wealth to be extremely empowering,â says Ms. Grove. âThey have let their confidence and sense of purpose in other areas feed their sex life. They are getting what they want.â
Mr. Kerner says the increased sexual activity by wealthy women doesnât reflect the âpool boyâ syndrome commonly portrayed in the media: bored young trophy wives having affairs with household help. Todayâs rich women are powerful businesspeople who feel secure in having relationships outside their marriage â mostly with professional colleagues.
âWeâre not talking about the woman whoâs home with two kids and whoâs dependent on her husband,â Mr. Kerner says. âThose women are more likely to worry about the consequences of having other relationships.â
He added that especially for women, sex is closely linked to self-esteem. And since wealth usually brings greater self-esteem, it can improve a womanâs sex life.
âFor the minute percentage of women who are that wealthy, this wealth can be a big ego booster and allow them to feel very comfortable and relaxed about sex,â he says. âThey have a strong sense of identity and they know they donât have to be inhibited about communicating their needs. Itâs about the confidence and power and opportunity that comes with having a lot of wealth.â