How to bag a ‘trophy husband’

During the ’80s, the decade of materialism and acquisitions, trophy wives were highly visible in the arms of almost all the powerful men in the world. First wives were being exchanged for younger, more beautiful women. Wives were being treated like model cars: out with the old and in with the new. Trophy wives always existed but never as blatant as the ’80s with Donald Trump and Marla Maples, Henry Kravis and Carolyn Roehm, Gerard Marie and Linda Evangelista to name a few. And our most infamous trophy wife Imelda – she was the perfect trophy wife of Marcos when he started out as a young politician but what happened later on is another story.

Today, as women get more empowered with higher-paying jobs and powerful positions in the corporate and political worlds, a lot of women yield more wealth and power than their husbands or boyfriends. With the Filipino culture being the way it is, this may be a problem, because in general a lot of Filipino men will not take the backseat to their wives. Even in modern Philippine society, an older powerful man of 60 can get away with marrying a beautiful penniless 25-year-old woman but a woman of 40 who marries a 30-year-old man who is not financially or socially equal to her will raise a lot of eyebrows. If you are brave enough to withstand all the gossip and are true to yourself and your situation, then find yourself a trophy husband. You work as hard as powerful men, why shouldn’t you have the same opportunities they have?

A trophy husband is just like a trophy wife: they are young, good looking, and require high maintenance. They are without a steady career path or are just starting out with their careers. If you are ready to accept these facts, then you can start looking for a trophy husband. Take a cue from Demi Moore – there is a 15-year-age difference between her and Ashton Kutcher even Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake have an eight-year-difference. And there is the grand dame Madonna and Guy Ritchie, who have an age difference as well. These couples don’t only have a huge age gap, but a financial gap as well.

So start out by dating younger men. Take your pick – there are a lot of good-looking younger men out there who don’t mind being taken care of by an older woman. Once you find yourself a younger good-looking man assess the situation: does he have potential? Or does he have a penniless rear that will sit on your couch the whole day watching DVDs? Either way, remember that you’re a smart woman. Look at this from a business point of view; men do it all the time. It’s either a long-term project or a short-term lease. Evaluate the situation and look at it as an investment, what kind of returns do you think you can get emotionally, physically, career-wise, etc.

Once you have that good-looking younger guy in your realm remember to fix him up according to your standards. Do a full makeover without being obvious. Buy him that pair of Prada shoes to go with the Hugo Boss suit. Send him to a decent hairdresser to get groomed. Then find out his interests and help him get set up with a job so he doesn’t look like he is being kept by a woman. Filipino or not, the male ego is still fragile even if he is a kept man. But make sure his job doesn’t take all his time because you should be the priority and nothing else – after all, you are paying his bills. Remember, he is in your life to make you feel better and look better. He represents the big payoff on all your hard work.

Find a likeable good-looking guy, one who isn’t threatened with your financial status, one who makes you look good in the society pages. But most of all, find one who makes you laugh. The guy is already going to cost you a bundle; the makeover alone will cost a mint, the least he can do is make you laugh. Make sure you get what you pay for. If the sex doesn’t satisfy you, cut off his allowance or find a new guy. Don’t be taken for a fool.

You are probably saying to yourself, is it really all about the money? Honey, look at Donald Trump. Anyone who sleeps with him is about the money, unless you look as hot as Demi or Cameron Diaz. It’s going to be about the money so don’t delude yourself into thinking it’s all about love. Love may be a factor after a length of time and there are a few exceptions. But 90 percent of the time, it’s about the money, the power and the lifestyle. That’s why pre-nuptial contracts exist. Even Ivana Trump who was really in love with Donald Trump got a pre-nup now that she has the money. She is having a ball with all her boy toys.

Many trophy husbands know what they are. They know how easy their life is. So they know better than to blow it all away by having another woman on the side. If you’re not exactly beautiful, admit it to yourself and either accept that he will fool around, or do something about the situation. You might end up like all the wives of Porfirio Rubirosa the ultimate "Trophy Husband" (Doris Duke, Barbara Hutton and Zsa Zsa Gabor). Porfirio Rubirosa took $200,000 from Barbara Hutton to buy himself a private plane so he could meet up with Zsa Zsa Gabor while he was still married to Hutton. Try your best to look as good as you possibly can and keep him entertained. Otherwise, you will be a sorry sight to see. Imagine your husband fooling around on you, spending your money on other women.

So take heed, my friends, for nothing in life is free. A "Trophy Husband" has its price just like a "Trophy Wife" but if you are tough enough to play hardball with the men in the board room, you are tough enough to acquire your very own "Trophy Husband." After all, women have finally gotten equal rights in almost everything – a "Trophy Husband" might as well be one of them.