CHICAGO, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The greater a man's financial success, the harder it becomes to find a genuine partner, according to new third-party panel research commissioned by Selective Search, the human-led luxury matchmaking firm founded in 2000. In research fielded in March 2026 and released publicly today, 72% of ultra-high-net-worth single men say their financial success has made it harder to find a genuine, compatible partner, and 28% describe it as significantly harder.
The reason is not a shortage of interest. It is the inability to trust it. The single highest-rated dating challenge in the segment, cited by 41% of ultra-high-net-worth men, is difficulty knowing whether someone is interested in them or in their financial situation.
The research also overturns a durable stereotype about what these men are looking for. Three quarters of ultra-high-net-worth single men, 75%, rate financial independence in a partner as essential or very important. They are not seeking someone to support. They are seeking a peer, and the suspicion that they are being pursued for their wealth is precisely what stands in the way.
Key Facts
- 72% of ultra-high-net-worth single men say financial success has made finding a genuine, compatible partner harder
- 28% say it has made finding a partner significantly harder
- 41% cite difficulty knowing whether someone is interested in them or their financial situation as a top dating challenge, the highest-rated challenge in the segment
- 75% rate financial independence in a partner as essential or very important
- The dynamic scales with wealth: 44% of affluent men report that financial success has made dating harder, versus 72% at the ultra-high-net-worth tier
- The research surveyed 359 affluent and high-net-worth American single men in March 2026
Why This Matters
The findings describe a paradox at the top of the market: the same success that expands every other opportunity in these men's lives narrows the one that matters most. And it intensifies as wealth grows, rising from 44% among affluent men to 72% at the ultra-high-net-worth tier.
"What these men want is remarkably ordinary. They want to be chosen for who they are, not what they have," said Barbie Adler, Founder and President of Selective Search. "The data confirms what we have heard in consultations for nearly three decades. What they cannot find on their own is certainty that the interest across the table is genuine."
That uncertainty shapes how ultra-high-net-worth men now approach the search itself. Rather than casting a wider net, these men are narrowing it, favoring approaches that treat their time as the scarce resource it is. "The most successful men we work with have stopped optimizing for volume and started optimizing for fit," said Brad Blettner, Chief Executive Officer of Selective Search. "They run their careers on rigorous vetting and qualified introductions, and they are now applying that same discipline to their personal lives. When you cannot trust the interest coming at you, the answer is not more options. It is better filtering, and that is fundamentally a human skill."
"Verification of intent is something no app can offer, and no amount of wealth can buy directly," Adler added. "It takes a human process: knowing both people, understanding what each is genuinely looking for, and making an introduction where the interest on both sides is already established. That is the problem this research puts a number on."
About the Research
This research is based on a third-party survey of 359 affluent and high-net-worth American men, fielded between March 25 and March 28, 2026. Respondents self-reported household income and total net worth, and the sample was screened for U.S.-based men who are not currently in a committed relationship. For analysis, respondents were segmented into two tiers: UHNW Male and Affluent Male. Nine respondents who selected "prefer not to say" for net worth are excluded from segment-specific findings. Findings reported as percentages refer to the proportion of respondents in the relevant segment selecting that response.
About Selective Search
Selective Search is a luxury matchmaking firm founded in 2000, with nearly three decades of experience serving affluent and high-net-worth clients across the United States. The firm's human-led approach prioritizes alignment, discretion, and results, with an 89% success rate and more than 4,000 happy couples. Selective Search is headquartered in Chicago. For more information, visit https://www.selectivesearch.com/
Media Contact
Grace Urban
Selective Search
grace@selectivesearch.com
312-813-3844
www.selectivesearch.com
