Were the Shocking Billboards Advertising an “LDS Millionaire Looking For His Wife” Real?

[Third Hour]

Thousands of Utahns have seen billboards advertising an "LDS Millionaire looking for his wife" which have been scattered up and down I-15 for several weeks. Some thought these billboards were just a joke, others were appalled that someone would flaunt his money in an attempt to attract a marriage partner. Nevertheless, after a stunning 2,500 applications, an event was held inviting 20 prospective women to meet this mysterious millionaire in the hopes of further pursuing a relationship with him. And what an event it was. They were brought in a limo. Exited onto a red carpet. And even given gifts. The master of ceremonies then gave a few clues as to the identity of the bachelor before dropping the white sheet which veiled him. By the end of the night, he had met each of the women and scheduled one-on-one dates with several of them. Other websites have gone into far greater detail and depth in describing the event, though the identity of this wealthy man looking for love remains unknown to all but those...

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[NeuroTypical]

After dood makes his pick, we just need the "where are they now" followup story in 1, 5, 10 years. 

[Vort]

NEWS FLASH: Man uses his money to attract women

NEWS FLASH 2: Women are attracted to man with lots of money

I'm just astounded at the revelatory depth of these news flashes. What next?

[Midwest LDS]

Ah yes basing your future marriage entirely on the properties of your bank account. No doubt this man and his wife to be will enjoy many long days of bliss until they inevitably divorce 2-3 months later. Cheers!

Edited June 13, 2019 by Midwest LDS

[Guest Mores]

24 minutes ago, Midwest LDS said:

Ah yes basing your future marriage entirely on the properties of your bank account. No doubt this man and his wife to be will enjoy many long days of bliss until they inevitably divorce 2-3 months later. Cheers!

It could go either way.  I honestly don't think its as bad as one might think.

[mikbone]

 

[Midwest LDS]

1 hour ago, Mores said:

It could go either way.  I honestly don't think its as bad as one might think.

Maybe maybe not. It just seems very reality tv to me, like the Bachelor Utah edition. I could be being cynical, and I wish them luck, but personally I have my doubts.

[NeedleinA]

I saw a documentary on guys going to eastern block countries to find wives. Both sides admitted it was a shallow arrangement: 

Girls were looking for wealthy westerners. 

Guys were looking for 'hot' women out of their league. 

Both using the other. 

[Guest MormonGator]

1 minute ago, NeedleinA said:

I saw a documentary on guys going to eastern block countries to find wives. Both sides admitted it was a shallow arrangement: 

Girls were looking for wealthy westerners. 

Guys were looking for 'hot' women out of their league. 

Both using the other. 

Yup. That's very shallow of someone. 

[NeuroTypical]

5 hours ago, Midwest LDS said:

Ah yes basing your future marriage entirely on the properties of your bank account.

Well, to be uncomfortably correct here, his criteria also included a current temple recommend, and most of his finalists had degrees, including some with graduate degrees.  I say "uncomfortably correct" because, even though we pretty much remain against the whole thing, it makes it much harder to say why. 

The women seemed to be attracted to him because money, temple recommend, "tall/dark/handsome", and maybe "hey, it's better than meeting on tinder".

Honestly, the more I think about it, the less I find objectionable.  The whole "out in the open where everyone is admitting what's important to them" sort of loses steam as I find less and less to criticize.  

[Midwest LDS]

2 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

Well, to be uncomfortably correct here, his criteria also included a current temple recommend, and most of his finalists had degrees, including some with graduate degrees.  I say "uncomfortably correct" because, even though we pretty much remain against the whole thing, it makes it much harder to say why. 

The women seemed to be attracted to him because money, temple recommend, "tall/dark/handsome", and maybe "hey, it's better than meeting on tinder".

Honestly, the more I think about it, the less I find objectionable.  The whole "out in the open where everyone is admitting what's important to them" sort of loses steam as I find less and less to criticize.  

That's fair I suppose, and to a certain extent honesty has to be appreciated. But it just rubs me wrong. Maybe it's just me thinking to hard, but if I ask myself whether those women would have applied if he had said everything the same, but dropped the millionaire part of it, I think the answer is no. And if you are basing a marriage decision primarily on that, not whether he is financially stable, that's an important consideration, but is he rich enough to let me live like a princess and fulfil all my worldly desires, I feel like the marriage isn't going to last. I may be wrong, and as I said in an earlier post I wish them the best, but this kind of fake, worldly acclaim just seems like a recipe for another broken home.

Edited June 14, 2019 by Midwest LDS

[SilentOne]

From the press release:

Quote

...he then proceeded to entertain them with his PowerPoint of the top 10 reasons he decided to do this event to find his wife.

I'd have to get those top 10 reasons before entering, and they'd have to be very good ones. Because what I see is that he is leading with his millionaire status, which implies he thinks his money is his most important attribute and/or he thinks that is what I as a woman find most important. If #1, we would not get along. And #2 is insulting. Or maybe he just wants a woman who values his millionaire status, in which case I'm not the one for him.

I hope, and sort of think, that is not an accurate impression, but it's strong enough that I would never even consider applying (or whatever the correct term is for this situation). Plus the whole responding to a personal ad on a billboard feels unsafe to me, though I can't figure out exactly why that would be worse than personals columns (do those still exist?) or online dating.

[Just_A_Guy]

So, I’m a terrible judge of character in general.  But that is slightly offset by the fact that I can spot a “high maintenance” person a thousand yards off.*  And from the pics I saw of the event—I didn’t see a single woman there who didn’t trigger my “high maintenance” alarm.  

So, to our mystery millionaire, I simply say:  Refer back to the hot-crazy matrix; and good luck, soldier . . . 

 

*Legal disclaimer:  no, I’ve never actually mathematically confirmed this.  

Edited June 14, 2019 by Just_A_Guy

[mikbone]

There better be an ironclad prenuptial. 

[anatess2]

I have no problem with people marrying for financial security.  I have a problem with people going willingly into marriage and then getting divorced.  Yes, I know.  There are many divorced people on 3H.  I love you all.

Edited June 14, 2019 by anatess2

[NeuroTypical]

To be clear, this whole deal rubs me the wrong way too.  I don't like the spectacle at all.  I detest the whole tinder swipe left/vote 'em off the island/hook up or leave the show/eligible bachelor thing.   I yearn for the good old days of 7 brides for 7 brothers, and the notion that a honeymoon is meant to hide from her pursuing father and brothers long enough that by the time you're found, she's pregnant.   That said, I am having a harder and harder time faulting the dude or women for making the "millionaire" thing a criteria.  Especially when it's just one criteria.

We humans tend to, mostly, aim for mates in our own economic demographic, perhaps one step up or one down might be ok.  Anything else, or any notion that it's our primary consideration, comes with such a host of judgment from the community that we've developed words and phrases to communicate societies problem with the concept.  Gold digger, "dragging a dollar through a trailer park", "she just married him for his money", leech, sponge, boy toy, trophy wife, all come with a heavy emphasis on "money is the primary motivator here, as opposed to something more socially acceptable".  This thread is full of people opining that it's only about the money, even though it obviously is about more than that.

Plus, "millionaire" is pretty dang common (all hail capitalism and the concept of human rights!)  There are around 5 million "High Net Worth Individuals" in the US, over 11 million worldwide.   "Billionaire" is the new gold standard when we want to feel good about casting judgment on others.

 

[mrmarklin]

On 6/13/2019 at 1:34 PM, Midwest LDS said:

Ah yes basing your future marriage entirely on the properties of your bank account. No doubt this man and his wife to be will enjoy many long days of bliss until they inevitably divorce 2-3 months later. Cheers!

A case of true love. She loves his money and he loves you know what she’s got!

[mrmarklin]

Are any of you guys married?  In my experience it’s all about the Benjamins for attractive women.  Yes, even my wife.

 

We were on a cruise a year or so ago and at the table we sat at she noticed she was the only one without a Rolex watch.  Tag Heuer not good enough.   Last Christmas I had to rectify the situation.

In fairness, when we married, I had nothing. 

Edited June 16, 2019 by mrmarklin

[mikbone]

My wife was 1/2 way thru law school, while I was broke and working on Nutrition Undergrad degree.  

I have one ‘nice’ watch but rarely ever use it.  The iphone works great as a timepiece.

[Just_A_Guy]

2 hours ago, mrmarklin said:

A case of true love. She loves his money and he loves you know what she’s got!

She’s got what it takes, to take what he’s got!

Then again—so does the IRS . . .

[NeedleinA]

23 hours ago, mrmarklin said:

Tag Heuer not good enough.   Last Christmas I had to rectify the situation.

 

22 hours ago, mikbone said:

I have one ‘nice’ watch but rarely ever use it.  The iphone works great as a timepiece.

I own and use a $20 timex from target. Currently worn down pretty well with humidity issues in it. I like the digital date in it. It dies about every 3 years. I go back to target and get another. 

Wife still loves me. ...I hope. 

[prisonchaplain]

So, what I'm hearing is that I might not be totally in the best place, spiritually speaking, when I ask my daughters' suitors how many camels they have???

 

  I guess the dowry isn't really a thing anymore. :::sigh::: 

[Fether]

I think this is fantastic! I imagine dating when you have that much money and success must be pretty difficult. Perhaps it  is some Latter-day Saint celebrity?

[Vort]

56 minutes ago, prisonchaplain said:

So, what I'm hearing is that I might not be totally in the best place, spiritually speaking, when I ask my daughters' suitors how many camels they have???

  I guess the dowry isn't really a thing anymore. :::sigh::: 

Eight cows.

 

[NeedleinA]

3 hours ago, Fether said:

Perhaps it  is some Latter-day Saint celebrity?

It strikes me as some kind of advertising stunt. Some kind of hoopla to then turn around and introduce the new www.(insert) singles. com 

Edit: just read the article and saw the billboard for the first time.  Yes, marketing stunt. 

Edited June 17, 2019 by NeedleinA