"A few years ago, Charlotte, which is not her real name, was referred to the Select Date Society, which then offered services starting at $35,000..."

"... (due to high demand, the fee rose to $75,000 shortly after, with a top tier that started at $150,000). Charlotte, 38 at the time, worked for a successful business that had just gone public, so the money wasn’t a huge issue for her. 'No one I know would ever do this, I know that,' she says of her thinking at the time. 'But you know what? I could use some help, so I’m raising my hand here — I could use some help. And I’ll be honest, I’m lonely.' An M.B.A. with a blistering career trajectory that had taken her to companies like Goldman Sachs and Google, she was mainly occupied renovating a townhouse she’d recently purchased. She was in a position where, she says, 'I can use a friend. I can use someone who’s like my best friend.'..."

I'm reading "The Good-Man Shortage Has Gotten Exponentially Worse/The crisis is both a boon and a challenge for high-end matchmakers helping women find love" (NY Magazine).

"The problem of the underwhelming male is especially acute for accomplished and high-earning women like Charlotte, who are often looking for similarly situated men. Unlike men, who 'don’t care if the woman is a barista at Starbucks or if she’s a preschool teacher,' according to Louie Felix, a nearly 23-year veteran of the matchmaking trade, women are more wary of being taken advantage of and tend to desire a partner of similar wealth and stature. 'These women, a lot of times, have reached a level in their career that basically knocks out 95 percent of the male population,' says Alessandra Conti of the Beverly Hills–based Matchmakers in the City...."