eS ‘THEINDEPENDENT. ‘ONSUNDAT 1aocToBER 2007 q 49 ‘THE AMERICAN WAY —— OF ROMANCE “Thefollowing exchange tok place on Crass, the Re York crane nese Soar “What am I doing wrong?!'m tired ofbeat- {ng around the bush. 'm a beautiful (spectacu- larly beautiful) 25-year-old gin, I'm articulate and classy. Pm not from New York. 'm looking toget married toa guy who makes at leasthalf million a year. know how that sounds, but ‘keepin mind that a million a year is middle ‘class in New York City, soT don't think I'm. ‘over-reaching a all Are there any guys who ‘ake 500K oF more on this board? Any wives? ‘Could you send me some tips? dated abusi- ‘nessman who made around 200-250. But ‘that's where [seem tohita roadblock. ‘$250,000 won't get me to Central Park West. ‘know a woman in my yoga class who was mar- ‘ied to an investment banker, and lives in ‘Tribeca. he’s not as pretty as [am, noris shea _gteat genius. So what is she doing right? Here are my questions specifically: ‘Where do you single rich men hang out? Give ‘me specifics - bars, restaurants, gyms. * Whatare you looking for ina mate? ‘Is there an age range I should be targeting? * Why are some ofthe women living lavish lifestyles on the Upper East Side so plain? What's the story there? + Lawyers, investment bankers, doctors. How ‘much do those guys really make? And where do the hedge fund guys hang out? * Hovs do you rich guys decide on marriage vs justa girlfriend? Tam looking for MARRIAGE ‘An Investment Banker's Response: “1 qualify as a guy who fits yourbill-Tmake ‘more than $500K per year. Here's how Ise it: ‘Your offer sa plain and simple crappy busi- ness deal. What you suggest is simple trade: ‘you bring your looks tothe party and Tbring ‘my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, ‘your looks will fade and my money will likely ‘continue into perpetuity ~in fact, itis very likely that my income will increase, but itis an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful! So, in economic terms, you are a depreciating asset. In Wall Street terms, ‘weld cal you a trading position —not abuy and. old doesnt make ood busines sense ‘you (which is what you're asking) - so Tease. The deal that makes sense for me is dating, not marriage” ‘nof the transistor radio announced (18 Oct, 1954)...