Gone are the days when men in finance were seen as corrupt and untrustworthy because now they’re Gen Z’s ideal partner.
It’s no secret that men who work in the finance industry, who are currently being satirised as ‘finance bros’ on social media, have long been shunned among singletons across the globe for fear of a vacant and unfaithful partner who’s constantly working.
Films often support the notion that ‘finance bros’ are undesirable for instance, Leonardo DiCaprio‘s role as the greedy stockbroker Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street or the chilling portrayal of investment banker Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale, in American Psycho.
But thanks to Gen Z, the ‘finance bro’ has undergone a rebrand as Gen Z has claimed finance workers to be ultimate boyfriend material. The movement results from a viral TikTok song with the lyrics, ‘I’m looking for a man in finance. Trust fund. 6’5. Blue eyes.
The song’s success was so significant it led its creator, Megan Boni, 26, who lives in New York, to quit her sales job after securing a record deal and an agent.
Megan, known as @girl_on_couch online, developed the lyrics and requested her followers to ‘make this into an actual song’ for fun.
The video quickly amassed over 38 million views, attracting impressive music deals with Polydor, Virgin Germany, and Capitol, to license her vocals to producers.
As Megan wished, her lyrics transformed into a catchy techno song when Man in Finance (G6 Trust Fund) with Billen Ted hit streaming platforms, including Spotify.
‘I haven’t slept. I feel like I’ve been blacked out for a week,’ Megan told PEOPLE about her newfound success. She added: ‘I suddenly have an agent.’
‘I have calls with major companies. I have all these DJs who want to release the first single with me, so I’m suddenly navigating the music industry,’ she added.
Indeed, esteemed DJ David Guetta, 56, went on to remix the lyrics during one of his live concerts, which Megan attended.
Zach Elgort, VP of marketing at Capitol, told Billboard that the collaboration was ‘kind of a marketing dream’. He added: ‘This project shows an evolution of how social media meets music.’
The song wasn’t the only catchy element because viewers quickly commented that now, they would like to date a man who works in finance, despite the song being satire. One said: ‘Not a want, but a need’.
‘I’m looking for a man in finance…knows banking and hedge funds, private equity I want one’, a second added.
A third wrote: ‘You wrote the song for our lives not just summer.’ A fourth said: ‘Most iconic video of 2024’.
Elsewhere, others used the soundtrack while recording their attempts at finding a man who works in finance, is six feet five inches, and has blue eyes.
For instance, content creator Leila Layzell took to the streets of Canary Warf, London, holding a sign that read: ‘I’m looking for a man in finance’ while approaching men dressed in suits and gilets.
Meanwhile, TikTok content creator Ego Amaech, from London, explained that she’s ‘hiding’ her boyfriend because he ticks the song’s criteria.
Life Coach and Boundaries Expert Michelle Elman said the trend is Gen Z’s version of ‘tall, dark, and handsome’.
Michelle explained: It appears to be the new ‘tall, dark and handsome’ but likely also taps into the beauty ideal of tall and blue eyes and the patriarchal idea of the man looking after the woman financially.
‘With more and more women working and standing on their own feet financially, it is less about the man being the sole breadwinner but more so that women are looking for their financial equal.
She concluded: ‘Not too long ago, a woman’s financial status was tied to a man’s and therefore since that is not the case anymore, it is unsurprising it is a criteria when dating as marriage ultimately means being tied financially too.’
Elsewhere, Laurel House, an eharmony relationship expert said: ‘The man in finance trend taps into the fact that many women seeking relationships with men are looking for security in those relationships – physical, emotional and financial security.
‘This also aligns with recent eharmony research that reveals that women tend to value financial stability in a partner more than men.
‘People may assume that a man in finance will be financially secure, and will have consistent work hours and days, which lends to an expectation of schedules and behaviour that can provide a form of emotional security.’
Laurel added: ‘There is an incorrect presumption that asking what do you do for work is superficial and purely financially-focused, but it’s so much deeper than that. In fact, “what do you do?” and “why?” are two of the most important questions to ask on a first date.
‘Your potential partner’s career can have a significant impact on your life and lifestyle, and vice versa.
‘Our careers impact our schedules and availability, our energy levels, our ability to participate in consistent date nights and shared vacations, and expectations for our partners to join us for work-related events
Laurel concluded: ‘Learning about your date’s career choices and passions will also reveal so much about who they are and what they care about, and can be indicative of your future man’s personality, perspective, preferences, attitude, actions, associations, lifestyle, conversations, and life.’