THIS APPEARED ON CRAIG'S LIST

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 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 business man who makes average around 100 - 150. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 150,000 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 ANSWER

Dear Pers-:

I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament. Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful" as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard tobelieve that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way. Classic "pump and dump."
I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.

____________
Rob Campbell
J.P.Morgan
Diversified Industrials Investment Banking
277 Park Avenue, 16/F, New York , NY 10172


唔識睇英文 睇唔明唔緊要 ~ 以下有翻譯本 ........


一個年輕漂亮的美國女孩在美國一家大型網上論壇金融版上發表了這樣一個問題帖：我怎樣才能嫁給有錢人？

　　"我下面要說的都是心裏話。本人25歲，非常漂亮，是那種讓人驚豔的漂亮，談吐文雅，有品位，想嫁給年薪
50萬美元的人。你也許會說我貪心，但在紐約年薪100萬才算是中產，本人的要求其實不高。

　　這個版上有沒有年薪超過50萬的人？你們都結婚了嗎？我想請教各位一個問題:怎樣才能嫁給你們這樣的有錢人？我約會過的人中，最有錢的年薪25萬，這似乎是我的上限。要住進紐約中央公園以西的高尚住宅區，年薪25萬遠遠不夠。我是來誠心誠意請教的。有幾個具體的問題：

一、有錢的單身漢一般都在哪里消磨時光？　(請列出酒吧、飯店、健身房的名字和詳細地址。)

二、我應該把目標定在哪個年齡段？

三、為什麼有些富豪的妻子看起來相貌平平？我見過有些女孩，長相如同白開水，毫無吸引人的地方，但她們卻能嫁入豪門。而單身酒吧裏那些迷死人的美女卻運氣不佳。

四、你們怎麼決定誰能做妻子，誰只能做女朋友？

(我現在的目標是結婚。)

波爾斯女士

--------------------------------------------------------
　　下面是一個華爾街金融家的回帖：

　　"親愛的波爾斯：我懷著極大的興趣看完了貴帖，相信不少女士也有跟你類似的疑問。讓我以一個投資專家的身份，對你的處境做一分析。我年薪超過50萬，符合你的擇偶標準，所以請相信我並不是在浪費大家的時間。

　　從生意人的角度來看，跟你結婚是個糟糕的經營決策，道理再明白不過，請聽我解釋。拋開細枝末節，你所說的其實是一筆簡單的"財""貌"交易：甲方提供述人的外表，乙方出錢，公平交易，童叟無欺。但是，這裏有個致命的問題，你的美貌會消逝，但我的錢卻不會無緣無故減少。事實上，我的收入很可能會逐年遞增．而你不可能一年比一年漂亮。

　　因此，從經濟學的角度講，我是增值資產，你是貶值資產，不但貶值，而且是加速貶值，你現在25，在未來的五年裏，你仍可以保持窈窕的身段，俏麗的容貌，雖然每年略有退步。但美貌消逝的速度會越來越快，如果它是你僅有的資產，十年以後你的價值堪憂。
　　用華爾街術語說，每筆交易都有一個倉位元，跟你交往屬於"交易倉位元"(tradingposition)，一旦價值下跌就要立即拋售，而不宜長期持有——也就是你想要的婚姻。聽起來很殘忍，但對一件會加速貶值的物資，明智的選擇是租賃，而不是購入。年薪能超過50萬的人，當然都不是傻瓜，因此我們只會跟你交往，但不會跟你結婚。所以我勸你不要苦苦尋找嫁給有錢人的秘方。順便說一句，你倒可以想辦法把自己變成年薪50萬的人，這比碰到一個有錢傻瓜的勝算要大。

　　希望我的回帖能對你有幫助。如果你對"租賃"感興趣，請跟我聯繫。"

羅波．坎貝爾（JP 摩根銀行多種產業投資顧問）