First came the career coach, then the personal trainer, nutritionist and wealth manager, as highly successful people outsourced their lives to maximise work performance. Now, more are seeking assistance in a far more personal area: their love lives. Elite matchmaking services are seeing a surge in business as people shift towards a more human-to-human approach to dating.
While average earners with dating app burnout try walking clubs or backgammon nights in the hunt for love offline, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are investing significant sums in finding it. Experts say that with the world in perma-crisis, people are ever more aware of how vital the right relationship is, echoing the Harvard Study of Adult Development which found strong personal relationships are the number one predictor of happiness, health and longevity.
The UK’s wellness economy reached $224bn (£166bn) in 2022, the fifth largest globally, and “relationship wellness” is a growing part of this market. In the US, personal life coaching made up 34 per cent of the entire life coaching industry in 2024. In the UK, couples are seeking counselling and retreats, while HNW singles are outsourcing to elite matchmakers.
Services at global matchmaking agency Berkeley International start at £15,000 for UK-only, one-year unlimited introductions, rising to £40,000 for global matches. Elite members can pay for “private search” – a highly tailored service with fees starting at £70,000. Demand has increased by 200 per cent since the pandemic. “The qualities that build wealth don’t necessarily build intimacy,” says global director Mairead Molloy.
At Ivy Relations, fees start at £100,000 for bespoke services. Founder Inga Verbeeck says the rise of relationship wellness is a counterpart to the health longevity trend. “The emotional element of relationship satisfaction goes hand in hand with the increasing interest in physical longevity,” she says. “Covid created a shift and people know now that what actually creates happiness is health and love.”
