this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2024
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I’m gonna be honest, I’m not asking for a friend, I’m asking for myself. Our daughter (24) married this man (65) in September. She herself stated money was the main reason, and he knows it but it doesn’t bother him. Both my husband & I are having a very hard time getting used to the idea.

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[–] AgentGrimstone@lemmy.world 3 points 13 minutes ago

As long as both parties acknowledge what kind of relationship it is, and she gets what she wants out of it, I think I would be able to accept it. Doesn't mean I would like it, though.

[–] KittenBiscuits@lemm.ee 13 points 1 hour ago

My cynical view on this situation is the pros are 1) she's fast-tracking home ownership for a generation that generally expects to not own homes, 2) she's securing financial stability during the traditionally least financially stable era of adult life, 3) working as a paid live-in caregiver pays significantly little comparatively and it is damn hard work, 4) she may have plans on marrying for love later. She's still maturing, so having a starter marriage that's lucrative may not be a totally terrible idea.

Honestly at the end of the day, you want her to be happy, right? If she's walked into this with eyes wide open, considered all the cons and still found the arrangement preferable, is it really the end of the world? What would your feelings be if she had chosen some other non traditional relationship?

[–] ShouldIHaveFun@sh.itjust.works 2 points 56 minutes ago

It may become complicated if some day she does fall in love and if it's with someone else. She may be faced with hard choices if this happens.

[–] stinerman@midwest.social 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I agree with many people here that it's up to her. It's her life and she's going to live it how she wants. How you feel about it doesn't matter. I think what she's doing is morally objectionable because it turns a relationship that should be about caring and mutual affection and all those flowery concepts and turns it into a financial transaction. He gets companionship and sex and she gets money and not having to work (I assume). But once again, this is her decision.

How do you manage this? You either accept that or you don't. You get to determine if you want to be part of her life or not. Perhaps this is too much for you. Perhaps not. But your only options are to accept the arrangement or not.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 2 points 29 minutes ago* (last edited 28 minutes ago)

I'm not sure where morality comes into the whys of getting married. Historically, women have married for things other than love, when they had a choice at all. If they maintain fidelity and keep their agreements with each other, how is this any less immoral than marrying for love?

[–] Thcdenton@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago

If they're cool, they're cool.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 12 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Be sure to wring the old fart dry

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 1 points 48 minutes ago* (last edited 48 minutes ago)

mmmm, wet farts, sharts if you will

[–] 2ugly2live@lemmy.world 42 points 4 hours ago

She's not underage and the husband knows the deal. I would make sure she has a back up (a man is not a plan). Make sure she has a job/career to fall back on, and if she's stay-at-home, see if she gets any kind of money from her husband on a regular basis that she can put into her own savings. Other than that? Hopefully the wedding was bomb.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 74 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (7 children)

I'll add one thing to other's responses. Make sure she, not they, but she is covered financially. If she spends 10 years with him, not developing her career, and he drops her, will she be OK?

I.E. its perfectly OK for them to have this arrangement, it's not OK for her to be in a situation where she feels trapped by money.

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[–] NounsAndWords@lemmy.world 14 points 5 hours ago

how do you manage?

I'm relatively conservative, so probably a blend of bonds and market tracking index funds.

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 26 points 6 hours ago

There's nothing wrong with prostitution. At least when her boss dies she gets a payout.

When my boss dies, I'll still be expected to drive across four cities to do a job that I could do 100% remote during the pandemic

[–] Smokeydope@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

You'll both have lots of time to get used to the idea. Sorry to hear that your daughter turned into a gold digger marrying out of financial convinence instead of love. Its kind of unsavory and understandable why its causing some cognitive dissonance. But well thats the kind of thing our society incentivises and she's an adult who can make her own choices. Its hard to judge too hard. Hope the husband is alright personality wise and even if this is dark to say, you can take some solice in that statistically speaking its probably not going to last too long and she will probably inherit some assets. If it all burns down it will be a hard but good lesson in not being with people just to extract value out of them.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 13 points 6 hours ago

In this economy? Good on her.

[–] squid_slime@lemm.ee 13 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

Tangent but how the fuck our we in a world where we can lock ourselves in with someone for financial gain, we have tiny computers in our pockets, we can travel the world in a matter of hours, we have set foot on the fucking moon. yet we are chained by capitalism.

We sell our buddies intimately, we give the largest chunk of our waking life to employers. We are fucking slaves. Knelt for our masters.

But the worst part is we accept it. Lion share of comments are praising her, a few are pointing towards a kink which if that the actual reason then what ever. I feel sorry for her, not pity but the fact she is potentially degrading herself/selling her intimacy for a the semblance of dignity in a world which should afford us all dignity.

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 1 points 48 minutes ago

...we have tiny computers in our pockets, we can travel the world in a matter of hours, we have set foot on the fucking moon.

All brought to you by capitalism. Is it really such a surprise that money rules everything?

If you can't find something better(because it works and people won't give it up to go back) then why would things change?

Everyone on the bottom is forced to see what those on top have. Especially in this modern age.

"Why do i have to sacrifice when I'm barely surviving, when those people have way more than ill ever have?"

For the greater good right? Well its become bought sold and corrupted and is now The Greater Good©®™

Life is now a product because it was never prevented from being more than that.

[–] Pringles@lemm.ee 4 points 5 hours ago

Based on all the replies this seems both are getting what they want out of it, so I don't see an issue. Not every marriage needs to be a love match, but it does seem like there is some of that, so even better.

I do understand your moral reservations as it seems a bit cynical, but in the end it's her life and she and any kids they might have are basically set for life.

[–] Lexam@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago

Pretty well, I got a rich kid.

[–] Libb@jlai.lu 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Do you trust your daughter judgment? If so, trust her even when you may disagree.

If she is happy with the guy (reading your other comments, that seems to be the case) and since this mariage will give her the means to do all she wants and not worry too much. Imho, wishing them both the best seems the best thing to do :)

[–] Zoldyck@lemmy.world 62 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I'll be very blunt: it's her life and her decision. There is nothing to 'manage'. You either accept it or you don't, but if you don't, there's a good chance you will lose her.

[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 26 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I agree with you, I think OP means manage in the sense of managing themselves in this situation they clearly don't like, not their daughter.

[–] Zoldyck@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago

Yeah true, I think you're right. In that regard: I think it's all about acceptance.

[–] littlewonder@lemmy.world 121 points 11 hours ago (3 children)

She's an adult and I assume she's mentally capable. Just support her and when/if she ever regrets her decision, she'll have you around to lean on.

If you openly hate on her decision or shame her for it, you're only going to drive her away or make her even more firm in her choice.

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[–] Kaiyoto@lemmy.world 18 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Reading the other comments it sounds like this might be a healthy relationship.

Idk if this is my own baggage talking but the only thing that comes to mind is has he been married before and how did that turn out?

If he marries women and divorces them and leaves them in a bad situation, then I guess she should be ready for him to do the same to her eventually. I wouldn't suggest she go asking a lot of questions in a short period of time because I feel like this stuff comes out naturally over time but as she learns about it she should be aware of it and be prepared. (Do things like save money, get a degree or some other means of being able to support herself just in case shit happens.) I know people change, but I also know people don't and can keep the same behavior from relationship to relationship.

[–] sunglade@lemmy.world 11 points 8 hours ago

He only had 1 wife before and he was widowed.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 16 points 8 hours ago

I mean she married a rich guy she likes, at least if you take her word for it, and is basically set for life. Unless something goes wrong there's really nothing to get used to.

[–] twinnie@feddit.uk 30 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I don’t know how I’d deal with it but I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing given the chance, at least at that age. Does she realise that 65 isn’t all that old? He could have decades left in him. Most of my grandparents have lived into their 90s.

[–] sunglade@lemmy.world 34 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

She does. And she actually likes him, money was the main reason but it wasn’t the only reason. She said she wouldn’t marry an insufferable person or a vegetable. This man is extremely active, both physically and mentally. I don’t think she’s waiting for his death. Plus he already spoils her to no end now, while he’s alive.

[–] wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 hours ago

she actually likes him, money was the main reason but it wasn’t the only reason

You kind of buried the lede here by not including this info in the main post.

Sounds like your daughter is just being honest. Honest, open communication is important for a successful relationship. There's all sorts of reasons for sparking the initial interest/attraction, but what is important is that the relationship has more bones than the initial spark, which it sounds like it probably does.

My wife caught my eye because she literally caught my eye. That doesn't mean I'm only with her for her looks just because that was the initial reason for my interest.


As others have said, the main concern here is that she needs to ensure that she has her own financial security separate from him so she is not trapped or up shit creek if his finances go away for any reason.

Beyond that, the age difference can affect power dynamics and expectations within the relationship. That's less your business, more between her and him. It takes a lot of open discussion and willingness to compromise and work with each other.

My wife is somewhere around 15 years older than me. We started dating when I was past college but younger than 25. Just barely within the half plus seven window. We have differing opinions on acceptable levels of cleanliness/organization, and how household chores are to be split up. It also doesn't help that I didn't have nearly as long of a time living on my own before moving in with her. But with a lot of discussion and patience on both sides we make it work.

[–] dingus@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

This is interesting and I think it sounds like they are in a better scenario than others who marry for money. I'm glad she actually likes him as well. It's certainly odd, but it seems like both of them benefit from the partnershipand both seem to be open about it. While unusual, it seems healthier than other types of these relationships where it isn't clearly stated.

I will say like the one other user said...make sure she has a way that she could support herself in the event he leaves her or something.

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 20 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

It'll probably be a lot more than you were bargaining for, but it may be helpful to look into sugar daddy/baby and fin-dom (financial domination) relationships and how they work, as it sounds like this is likely the type of situation your daughter is in. I know that if I had kids, researching their kinks probably wouldn't be the most comfortable thing in the world, but it may help you get a better understanding of the dynamics of their relationship. Generally speaking, these are pretty healthy relationships as long as both parties are fully onboard and consenting, which it sounds like is the case here.

Relationships like this are actually fairly common, but because of the stigmas surrounding them, people tend not to be super open about it. The fact that your daughter and son-in-law both seem to be on the same page and don't mind letting you know about their arrangement, should probably be taken as a good sign.

[–] ShadowFlower@lemm.ee 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Lmao just because he has more money doesn't make it findom. That feels like a pretty wild leap to make without more info.

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

OP said that money is the "main reason" for their relationship. It's not really that much of a leap at all.

[–] ShadowFlower@lemm.ee 1 points 1 hour ago

I mean trophy wifes have been a thing for a long time - you've got actors like DeCaprio moving on to younger wives like clockwork.

Idk, it just seems like a stretch to assume the younger, poorer partner is the one in control. I'm not saying its for sure not the case but it wouldn't be my first guess.

[–] Olap@lemmy.world 22 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

How much money we talking? 65 and spritely could well mean 25 years or more of marriage

[–] sunglade@lemmy.world 31 points 10 hours ago (3 children)

I don’t know the exact net worth, but enough to have 2 “main residences” in Alpine NJ (most of the time, he hates city congestion) & Upper East Side (to stay when there’s work in the city, things like that), summer home in Sagaponack + at least 7 other homes I’m aware of. Flying exclusively private. That kind of wealth.

[–] invisiblepony@lemmy.world 26 points 9 hours ago

Your daughter could likely follow her dreams now.

That's enough to not worry about money again. As long as he treats her well and she's happy, then you and your husband should do their best to support her and her choices.

You're her parents, she doesn't need undue stress from y'all. It sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders, just try to understand, support and love her.

[–] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 18 points 9 hours ago

Holy fucking shit. Bruh. Just... goddamn. I'm pretty sure my parents would be over the moon if I was wanting to marry someone like that, regardless of intentions. Furthermore, it sounds like they're clear on what her feelings are and things like that. It's totally possible that he's looking for an heir which is why her attraction to his wealth isn't something he has a problem with (he's already planning to give it to her and/or any children she might end up having). It's also possible (as someone else pointed out) that it may be more kinky and saying she is marrying him for his wealth is an easier (or less awkward) explanation. Regardless, however, it sounds like it's consensual.

I think the way I'd handle it is to voice my concerns just to make sure she's thought of what might happen. When you do so, make sure she understands you're not rejecting her, but trying to make sure she's thought everything through; and that you need some reassurance yourself that she'll be okay. Explain that you care about her and you don't want anything bad to happen to her, and that's why you're so concerned. Then let her go and be there for her if things go south. Ultimately, she's an adult and you can't stop her from living her own life. At least it sounds like this path will ensure she (and any children she might have with him) will live a good life.

I'm actually kinda jealous lol.

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