The Economics of Gold Digging

The following story is currently making the rounds on the Internet. Follow the link to read the whole article:

Supposedly, a woman posted the following personal ad on Craigslist:

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 [a] 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 businessman who makes average around 200 – 250K. But that’s where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000K 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.

The Pickup Artist: Season 1

This season of the pickup artist introduces the mainstream to Mystery, a mentor we have known for quite some time now. Here are the episodes from breakthrough DivX site Stage6.

Mystery: “If all you say is ‘hi’, you win”

Episode 1 – Mystery Introduced
Episode 2 – There is no Spoon
Episode 3 – Pradeep
Episode 4 – The Kissing Practice
Episode 5 – The Bounce
Episode 6 – The Matador
VH1- Episode 7
VH1- Episode 8 Finale

The Cocky Young Kid

Being too Cocky without backing it up – we have all experienced this kid, whether it is inside ourselves or represented in another person.

Today I had a prospective future roommate visit me. At first glance, he looked like a complete nerd. Glasses, dressed down khakis and a plain T-shirt. He actually brought his girlfriend too, who was also visiting from TX. Wow! I thought, he actually has a GF (even though she was overweight, she was at least of mixed Asian / Spanish heritage, not a bad gene mix). As the conversation went on, I realized that this kid was actually very cocky! He’s very proud of his degree in CS and wasn’t that impressed by my profession at all. Not that he should be, but he didn’t even express any interest in myself. After he left, Wayne and I both thought, “who the fuck did this kid think he was!?!”

In the SF Bay PU community, occasionally I will run into a young college kid, who is actually quite confident. It reminds me of myself. I graduated from college at 20, and I thought I was the shit. At times, that confidence is a protection shield we use in case of rejection. It was also a way for us to push ahead, to break out of our comfort zone and remain in the protection of this “pride”. I understand them, but honestly now I find them annoying! I realized that I was probably like that to other people when I first got out of school 3 years ago!

It took a big hit for me to realize that I was indeed, just a kid. It was a huge reality check, when at 21 and 22 I was laid off twice, once because of company culture clash after acquisition, the other was a clash with an old manager Tom who I totally did not get along with. I know understand how they felt when I was around them. It wasn’t that I was wrong, but it was that feeling of, “OK, maybe this kid has potential, but he is acting like he has 10 years of experience on me and in reality, I have gray hair and this guy is just out of college.”

In truth, looking back, I always believed that I was a smart kid. I just didn’t realize how that might make other people feel when I would outwardly express my opinions without taking into account the years of experience these people already have. A truly smart young man must understand how to downplay his potential, because his best benefit is to continue to learn from these older folks and eventually, travel a much more successful path than they have. Sergey and Larry saw this with Google, and I plan urge other young graduates to take true confidence vs. overly cocky attitudes to heart.

Patient to House: “You are an asshole”
House: “Then why are you still here?”
Patient: “Because you must be damn good at what you do to keep this job with your personality”

Too Much Money…

Becoming financially secure with $50M is a feeling I have yet to experience. Today, one of my co-workers and friends who founded the original software around Google Earth is retiring. As I wished him good luck, I couldn’t help but wonder, “What are you going to do now?”

N replied, “I don’t know! I think I am going to start a VC firm”
Me, “Sounds fun, so I can come to you if I need funding for a startup right?”
N, “Haha, sure that would be an honor”

Strangely, I felt no jealously. I wished the best for him, and I wondered myself how I would feel and what I would do if I had $50M dollars. I suspect, if money was not a life issue right now, I would take a 6 month sabbatical and take residence with a Master PUA to perfect my game.