Millionaire seeks girlfriend: how the rich meet their soulmate
Ivy Relations is a dating agency for “elite” singles. You can buy your own fairy tale starting at 25,000 euros. “Some clients spend more than 120,000 euros,” they claim. Barcelona is where Spain’s VIP singles concentrate most, “some with a sporting past.”
It’s like an old-fashioned matchmaking agency, but here blind dates happen at restaurants only accessible by helicopter. Ivy Relations. Ivy has heart-shaped leaves, explains its founder, justifying the name. It’s an “exclusive” matchmaking agency “for elite professionals and high-net-worth individuals,” its website summarizes. “It’s a much harder and more complex job than many imagine,” the CEO says. Barcelona is where they concentrate the most clients in Spain. “Mostly entrepreneurs,” she details. “Some with a sporting past.”
Inga Verbeeck, 47, hands out cupid’s arrows at will from Antwerp. She’s the Cupid CEO. The founder of Ivy Relations. In a Disney-style paradox, her own love life has been anything but a smooth fairy tale. “I haven’t exactly lived the perfect fairy tale,” she admits. She married at 21 — “too young!” — and divorced at 29. She has a professional golfer son who stands 203 cm tall. “The most precious gift of my life,” she says proudly. “I’ve had some long relationships, but it hasn’t always been easy,” she acknowledges. “I think my different personal experiences make me better at my job today.”
Recently they organized a first date that lasted two and a half days and included four Michelin-starred restaurants with red-carpet service throughout the whole experience. That means superstar-level personalized attention. “We organize incredible dates all over the world in spectacular locations and settings,” Inga guarantees. They also offer image consulting, travel planning, gift advice, and even emotional support.
From €25,000 to €450,000
The standard fee is 25,000 euros a year. You’re introduced to at least 5 potential soulmates. “Executive” members pay 35,000: 7 introductions and more attention from the matchmaking team, including a photo shoot. The “premium” package goes up to 60,000: it includes 9 introductions. “Campaign members” pay between 120,000 and 450,000 euros. It’s like having an elite team of Cupids firing arrows at will: “They actively search for candidates through headhunting campaigns.” The success rate — they promise — is 95%.
Most of these VIP singles are men, aged between 25 and 73. There are princes from the Emirates, celebrities, CEOs, politicians. “Most are entrepreneurs,” Inga notes. That means this agency talks as much about “finding love” as it does about “discretion” and “financial independence.” They’ve come across fortune hunters. “Yes, of course,” Inga nods. “There are many, especially nowadays with Instagram and social media fueling the pursuit of a perfect, luxurious life. But I think there’s a difference between someone who chooses a certain standard of living and someone who would accept anything for money or luxury.”
One woman asked them for a multimillionaire with a house in Monaco, a loft in New York, and a private jet. “I didn’t work with her,” Inga recalls. “That’s a shopping list, not a search for a partner.” Are there a lot of grey-haired rich men looking for young women? “Relatively speaking, yes,” she answers. “But in my world it’s not just that cliché,” she clarifies. “There’s a lot more to it.”
Clients’ wish lists range from “someone who prefers the cold” to “someone who works in medicine but also plays a musical instrument very well.” Then there are the requests about physical appearance, Inga notes. “The trait most requested by men,” she points out, “is a natural look. No touch-ups, no exaggerated cheekbones, no fillers. My clients,” she insists, “tend to prefer wrinkles over Botox. And that’s a contradiction with what we see in today’s world: very beautiful young women chasing an ideal fueled by social media.”
“The perfect partner,” Inga concludes, X-Files style, “is out there.” Even if you don’t have 25,000 euros on hand. “Of course you can still find someone!” she assures. “But if you can’t outsource part of the work,” she warns, “you’ll have to put in some effort yourself. Doing nothing won’t help you find the right person.”
“Get out there,” she advises, “meet people in real life and be brave. Say hello, give a compliment, dare to take the first step. If you create enough opportunities, you might end up finding what you’re looking for. It’s not about finding a perfect person; that person doesn’t exist, whether you have a lot of money or very little. What matters is finding YOUR person.” Her golden rule? “Never assume. Ask.”
“Some will say it’s absurd to invest these amounts to find love. But is it really?” the CEO asks. “Isn’t a life partner, love, and happiness the most valuable thing we have? And no: this isn’t about buying love. We can’t force anyone to fall in love. We can only dedicate time and resources to an efficient, careful process that creates extraordinary opportunities.”
Article originally published via El Periodico: https://www.elperiodico.com/es/que-hacer/planes/20260724/millonario-busca-novia-ricos-media-naranja-ivy-relations-agencia-citas-barcelona-132751580