Why Do Rich And Powerful Men With So Much To Lose Risk It All For A Fling?

It looks there is a relationship between adultery and financial status. Some rich married men or those in a relationship are always on the prowl to find a new female plaything. A study conducted by MSNBC showed that among men making more than $300,000 a year, 32% reported cheating, compared to 21% of men making less than $35,000 a year.

Liz Moyer, Forbes Staff wrote, “Almost half of America’s rich say they’re unhappy in marriage, a study found. What’s worse: More than that says they’ve been unfaithful in the last three years. Depending on whose data you use, statistics on infidelity for the general U.S. population have some stark contrasts. Anywhere from one-quarter to three-fourths of married men admit to having extramarital affairs, compared to a range of 10% to 40% of married women, the reverse of the more narrowly defined wealthy population.”

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology suggests that straight men who believe they're richer than their peers may feel more entitled to cheat on their romantic partners — and find fault with her appearance.

Similarly, in a blog post on Yahoo Health, Editor-in-Chief David Zinczenko references a study that revealed that men who earned more money had a higher likelihood of cheating than those who earned less.

Men like Anthony Weiner, Tiger Woods, Eliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Edwards, and former CIA Director General David Petraeus just to name a few are among a long line of rich philanderers. It could be heartbreaking when you discover that the one you have a crush on has strayed into the streets. If you’re in a relationship with a very rich man, spicing up the physical intimacy may not prevent cheating. Worse, buying into a wrong myth makes the wronged individuals blame themselves for their partner’s infidelity.

The big question is why rich men with pivotal professions, political career or business and important responsibilities commit adultery? Why do men with so much to lose — great positions, families and reputations — risk it all for a fling? Do married men act this way because they feel that their financial status entitle them to adultery? Do certain income brackets and industries breed certain socially unacceptable behaviors and character in men?

Why Rich Men Cheat?

Cash on hand may incline men to stray … but is that really all it takes? I’ve seen married millionaires disrespect any sort of monogamous vows after a few drinks, and heard millionaires woo women with a high-rolling lifestyle if they’ll be their side-fling. The question is, does wealth really make a man a cheater? Don’t get me wrong, women cheat as well. When selecting their prey, rich men typically choose women of lower status and achievement who will idolize them. With money, comes power. Power – and all that comes with it, is attractive to many women. And, sometimes, these women can become aggressive with their advances. Women have certain needs to be filled in relationships. Some of them require a man who will be a protector, provider and companion. In the modern world, this mostly means financial security. It's well established that money makes a significant difference in how attractive men appeal to women as longer-term mates. This makes rich men have overinflated sense of confidence that allows them to think they’ll get away with bad behavior. The more financial power people have, the more likely they are to cheat.

Some engage in cheating to nourish their ego. Having more money increases how much a man is worth in his eyes and of others. Under the impression his value is higher; a man may assume he could nab any woman of his choice. Finding fault with a current female partner's appearance and looking elsewhere likely reflect a man's increased appraisal of what he feels he deserves: he no longer appreciates just one partner, but multiple lovers, each of whom validates his assumed worth — or offer additional opportunities to spread his newly acquired influence. So what is really the problem? The crux of the matter is that when some men make money they become more experimental, especially if the sexual relationship at home is lukewarm. They can afford to seek excitement outside the home.

Loneliness might be another reason. Most rich men travel a lot –are often away from their families for days, even weeks, and sometimes they end up yearning for female companionship thousands of kilometers away from their wives offering them more opportunities to cheat. Others have done it for the excitement the risk gives.

For you to strike an emotional balance, you need to be emotionally available for your partner. Being a rich and handsome, he must have been faced with great temptation from women. This is the same problem with the sports men such as Tiger Woods, who are traveling around the world for competitions while their wives are at home. And these are rich men.

Rich men tend to be surrounded by people who protect them, idolize them, and even encourage their vices in order to remain inside their influential orbit. Having people in your inner circle who constantly approve of your actions can swell your ego. A sense of entitlement plays a part in why rich and high profile men like Arnold Schwarzenegger risk hurting their families and reputations for their sexual pursuits. They’ve lived their lives being told by everyone around them they’re special, they’re entitled to whatever they want. And if you’re being told that, why wouldn’t you believe it? And it can make you feel like the limits you once put on yourself are loosening. They might believe they’re impervious to getting caught or can conceal their transgressions because of the resources at their disposal.

However, there are also men who have the resources to have sex with as many women as they desire, but choose to remain faithful to one woman. There is always a steady stream of willing females lined up to be a side-fling, reinforcing that such adultery is acceptable and even rewarding. There are equally some women out there that don’t care how much money a man has, they have a moral compass and will not compromise that for material things. I give kudos to these classy women out there who don’t participate in perpetuating that infidelity.

Is Infidelity Not Found In Guys From The Middle To Lower Rungs Of The Socioeconomic Spectrum?

Men from the middle to the lower rungs of the socioeconomic level are equally into cheating. The only difference is that it is more prevalent with the rich. Cheating generally means that you are not fully satisfied with your current partner or you feel that something is missing in the relationship. When men cheat, it basically means that they are looking for something their girlfriend or wife is not providing. Often times, it comes down to sex. Men also like to explore and try new things. When people are in a relationship for a long time, they can't help but start taking their significant other for granted.

A man's partner may be particularly temperamental, cold, or avoidant herself; resentment may have been breeding within the couple he belongs to for weeks, months, maybe years; he may feel distressed at home, work, or within his family. Cheating in these cases may be a man's attempt to escape an arduous situation, regain some sense of control, or simply be reminded that someone desires him — that he's still wanted. Or he may just be bored. People in general – cheat when they want change.

Perhaps one of the most tragic misconceptions about cheating is that people stray because they have fallen out of love with their partners. But research shows that some men don’t cheat because they have fallen out of love with their partners. Rather, they cheat simply because they desire sex with someone else, even if they want to preserve their relationship. The reason cited most frequently is variety. For most people, monogamy does not necessarily provide a lifetime of sexual contentment.

Conclusion

Of course, with money comes confidence, and a confident man with opportunity will cheat more often than the same man with no confidence and less opportunity. Rich men may cheat for a variety of reasons. Too much money may be the straw that breaks the monogamous camel’s back. But the result is usually the same: Positions, reputations and families are irrevocably broken. The emotional scars of broken trust are often raw, often aggravated and sometimes takes years to heal.

However, life can resume after infidelity, if both partners make a concerted effort to rebuild trust, understand what went wrong in the first place, and agree to move forward. Your best bet isn't to avoid men who are wealthy for fear they can never be trusted, but rather you're much better off getting a feel for their character, doing your part to keep the relationship strong, and being sure to establish your own identity outside the relationship — so that, if it ruptures, you're not completely destabilized.