It’s Gina Price*’s 20th birthday, and among her gifts are spa treatments, designer handbags, Christian Louboutin’s famous red-bottom shoes and gift certificates to her favorite restaurants. The Butler University student studying science technology and society works part time to support her lifestyle, but she will soon receive an additional gift — a $3,000 monthly allowance thanks to an agreement she has with her newest “sugar daddy.”
In a recent study released by SeekingArrangement.com, the leading sugar daddy dating site where more than 5 million members fuel mutually beneficial relationships on their terms, the number of college students registered on the site increased by 32.47 percent in 2015.
Price came across her sugar daddy after creating a profile on SeekingArrangement.com, which claims to help younger users (also known as “sugar babies”) create a relationship on their own terms by connecting them with sugar daddies or sugar mommas — successful men and women who are driven and enjoy attractive company by their side. As money isn’t an issue for the daddies and mommas, they are generous when it comes to supporting a sugar baby.
According to the website, sugar babies are attractive people looking for the finer things in life. They appreciate exotic trips and gifts.
Price explained her journey to wanting a sugar daddy began after several failed relationships with men her age.
“Men in my age bracket aren’t mature,” she said. “If they’re struggling, they want you to struggle with them, and it doesn’t work like that for me. Many in this generation don’t feel as if the man should take care of the woman; they believe in the 50/50 rule, and I don’t.”
Growing up in a home with parents 11 years apart in age, Price believes the lifestyle and relationship expectations influenced her outlook. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom who reaped the benefits of the big bucks her husband brought home. Unfortunately, Price’s father passed away five years ago.
“I always believed the man should take care of their woman. When women have strong relationships with their fathers and begin dating, they look for some of the same traits. My father left me a trust money account, but I kept running into men who wanted me to take care of them,” explained Price. “My mom doesn’t have any type of worries, and when my father was living, he made sure she had everything she needed. She was the trophy wife who cleaned the house and got her nails done.”
After her father’s death, Price came across a news article mentioning Seeking Arrangement; less than 24 hours later, her inbox was full.
Since creating her profile on Seeking Arrangement in July 2015, Price estimated she has been on about 10 dates with prospective sugar daddies and has made arrangements with about three. Her past sugar daddies have varied in age from 26 to 47 and have had a variety of occupations including business owners, pilots, realtors and lawyers. She has even made arrangements with men outside of Indiana. The duration of the relationship depends on the person.
“Many of the men I’ve come across don’t want you to have more than one sugar daddy. A lot of them are recently divorced and want to feel needed and important,” mentioned Price.
She admits she was a little apprehensive about the site, but once her latest relationship with someone her age failed, she further pursued Seeking Arrangement to help find someone to “take care of (her).”
Several of the sugar daddies are high-profile community individuals and leaders, which means many relationships and arrangements need to remain private, according to the website.
Price said the location and status of her suitor determines how often they interact. If they are located out of town or out of the state, face-to-face interaction is limited, but even if they are in the same city, the situation could remain similar.
When it comes to sexual activity, Price said this is not a part of her agreements. While she is aware many sugar daddies will offer more money or other financial benefits if sex is involved, she likes to leave that aspect out of the equation.
Though the website does not run formal advertising, it continues to grow with more than 3,000 new members each day, said Brook Urick, public relations manager at Seeking Arrangement. The website’s community has more than 500 million active members in 139 countries — 400 million sugar babies and 100 million sugar daddies and mommas. The company has recently established two spinoff ventures: LetsTalkSugar.com, where sugar babies learn to navigate the sugar lifestyle, and Sugar Baby University, where college students can find a generous sponsor for their college tuition.
“We are in a state of emergency, but it isn’t due to terrorism. The $1.2 trillion college debt crisis is crippling our economy — and no one is doing anything about it,” said Brandon Wade, founder and CEO of SeekingArrangement.com. “Instead of earning a living and making milestone purchases post-graduation, many are stuck sending their paychecks straight to Sallie Mae.”
The average sugar daddy on Seeking Arrangement makes about $250,000 per year.
“Some see this as a controversial solution. However, SeekingArrangement.com has helped facilitate hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of arrangements that have helped students graduate debt-free,” said Wade.
Before the money can begin rolling in, Price has a few preferences.
“I usually look for those who have a profile photo and those that are background-verified. I steer away from those that don’t have a long enough biography,” said Price.
Price noted she doesn’t immediately meet her potential sugar daddies in person. She requires the pair video message, text message or talk on the phone for a period of time beforehand. When she goes on dinner dates, she alerts friends to stay in the area just in case the date takes a turn for the worse.
Price tries to look for African-American sugar daddies. They’re scarce in Indiana; many of those she does come across are located in Chicago, Miami and California.
She said she doesn’t have a particular race preference, but she knows the situation would look better in public if she were with someone African-American. Her newest sugar daddy is a 47-year-old white man, and since she is biracial, it was suggested she identify him as her uncle if asked in public about their relationship.
Several of Price’s closest friends know about her sugar daddy relationships, but her mother does not.
“I know she’s getting suspicious, because she asked how am I working part-time and paying my bills and walking around with new items. I’m like, look lady,” she laughs. “Don’t worry about it. Not only are these men providing financially, they stimulate my mind and help me with situations I have going on in my life,” she said. “They turn into mentors.”
Currently, one of Price’s friends has a sugar daddy and another has a sugar momma.
Her latest suitor asked if she would be interested in later developing a romantic relationship. Price said it is always an option.
“Anything is possible. We just have to make sure the chemistry is there,” she said. “I tell people, I look beyond the finances because after awhile, you’re going to get tired of someone simply handing you a check or credit card. My parents let me know marriage can happen because of their age gap.”
Price said she doesn’t want to be a sugar baby forever and doesn’t believe her arrangements will hinder her from finding love with someone closer to her age later down the road.
“I’m not currently looking to be emotionally connected to someone, but at some point I do want to be married and have children, and many sugar daddies have been there and done that,” said Price. “I’ll probably stay in this until I’m in graduate school, and hopefully I’ll come across someone by then who has a career, is financially established and can take care of me.”
*Participant name changed due to privacy.
