After more than a decade of growth in dating apps, the affluent and high-net-worth segment is moving in a different direction. Inbound inquiries to Selective Search from affluent and high-net-worth American men climbed 58% year over year as of May 2026, a signal that the shift away from app-based dating is no longer subtle and no longer confined to anecdote.
To understand what is driving this move, Selective Search commissioned independent panel research among 359 affluent and high-net-worth American men. What emerged was a consistent pattern: the criteria these men use to evaluate a matchmaking service now mirror the criteria they use to make other consequential decisions in their lives, weighted toward network quality, confidentiality, and process accountability. The men who can afford any option are deliberately choosing fewer, better introductions, guided by a human professional who understands the stakes.
Key Findings
| Inbound inquiries from affluent and high-net-worth men grew 58% year over year Male interest in Selective Search’s expert-led matchmaking services has grown 58% year over year as of May 2026, based on the firm’s first-party inquiry data. The growth rate signals a structural rather than cyclical shift in how accomplished men are approaching their search for a long-term partner. |
| Confidence in dating apps continues to erode Panel respondents cited declining trust in dating apps as a primary driver of the shift. Common themes centered on time inefficiency, profile inauthenticity, and a persistent sense that algorithmic matching does not understand high-achiever priorities. 34% of respondents called dating apps too transactional or superficial. |
| Ultra-high-net-worth men evaluate matchmaking the way they evaluate other major decisions Among respondents with $5 million or more in net worth: 52% rank quality of the client network as a top factor when evaluating a matchmaking service. 50% cite guaranteed confidentiality as a top-three deciding factor. 47% say lack of confidentiality is the top reason they would walk away from a personal service after a first meeting. |
| The shift favors expert-led, intentional models Panel respondents indicated a clear preference for fewer, more relevant introductions over high-volume option sets. 36% of app users named privacy of their dating activity as one of their biggest challenges. 61% had used a dating app in the past two years, yet the same group is now actively seeking a different approach. |
What This Means for the Category
- The premium tier is consolidating around human-led service: The 58% increase in qualified inquiries from affluent men is not a niche correction. It reflects a deliberate decision by high-achieving people to stop treating one of the most consequential decisions in their lives like a consumer product. The premium end of the market is consolidating around human-led service, and it will belong to firms that can credibly deliver what the research identified: network quality, confidentiality, and accountability.
- The evaluation criteria reveal what the market is actually buying: Affluent men are not paying for access to a large pool of introductions. They are paying for the curatorial judgment that filters that pool, the discretion to protect their identity through the process, and the institutional accountability that comes from a firm staking its reputation on outcomes. These are not feature-level differentiators. They are structural advantages that require time, scale, and operating discipline to build.
- AI and app-based innovation will not displace the premium tier: The dating app category will continue to evolve. AI-driven matching, video introductions, and curated app experiences will all earn share at the middle and lower ends of the market. None of them resolve the underlying problem the research identifies: affluent and high-achieving men want a human professional accountable to a result, not a more sophisticated interface.
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| Selective Search In The News | Recent coverage across Forbes, CNBC, Fortune, and other |
Source and Methodology
This research was originally announced via GlobeNewswire on May 27, 2026: “New Research: Demand for Human-Led Matchmaking Among Affluent and High-Net-Worth Men Climbs 58% as Confidence in Dating Apps Continues to Erode.” Full release available at globenewswire.com.
Methodology: The findings are drawn from a survey of 359 affluent and high-net-worth American men conducted via third-party audience panel 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. The research was commissioned by Selective Search and conducted independently of the firm’s client population.