The Naked TruthCougars, older women who date younger men, on the rise, but can true love survive a large age gap?
High-profile couples such as French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are proof the older woman/younger man couple can work, but they remain a rarity in Hong Kong and Asia – unlike sugar daddies
You are guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows in Hong Kong if there is a significant age gap between you and your partner.
It is not just the age difference that makes people curious; many are sceptical that two people with so many years between them can have anything in common. The popular assumption is that the relationship is based on purely material gains.
Most people’s perception is that the older partner is more settled and financially well-off, and therefore spoils their younger lover with gifts as a way to keep them happy and sustain the relationship.
But the phenomenon is becoming more commonplace. Besides your typical sugar daddies, there is a rising trend of mature women in their 40s to 60s going out with men who are at least 10 years their junior. These women are popularly known as cougars.
The numbers of cougars are growing as many modern career women, who spent their prime years focusing on their jobs and neglecting their romantic life, start looking for serious love. Some might have had marriages or long-term relationships ruined by that same career-focused mentality and are now pursuing a second chance in love.
