What is a sugar daddy and is a sugar baby the same as an escort?

YOU may have heard of them – but how much do you really know about sugar daddies and sugar babies?

The controversial age-gap relationship has hit the headlines in recent years, with more and more older men and younger women mutually benefitting. But others have aired their concerns – here’s all you need to know.

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What is a sugar daddy?

A sugar daddy is described a generous older man who spends lavishly on his mistress, girlfriend or boyfriend. While not always the case, he’s often a businessman, who considers himself too busy for conventional dating – and isn’t short of a few bob. According to Seeking Arrangement, the average sugar daddy is 45 years old – and earns a very impressive salary of £176,000. A sugar baby, meanwhile, is normally an attractive younger woman or man who can’t afford the luxury lifestyle they like to live. Therefore, they team up to reap the benefits of being together. A sugar baby is said to rake in an average of £2.3k a month on average, resulting in annual ‘salary’ of £27,600. The rise in popularity of sugar babies is particularly prevalent among university students, who turn to their ‘daddy’ to pay their fees. But it’s not just older men getting in on the action. Similarly, a ‘‘sugar mama’ is a rich older woman dating someone younger and paying them an allowance for their company.

How does the relationship work?

This obviously changes relationship to relationship, but the couple will usually establish a financial agreement early on – as well as their boundaries. This includes things such as whether or not they’re considering a sexual relationship. Some sugar babies ask for a monthly allowance, while other get ‘expenses’ in the form of glam holidays and shopping sprees. Mabe-Mae, 25, who has been a sugar baby since 2014, shared she got around £15k worth of gifts over the Christmas period, while others have shared Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to have a sugar daddy, as they are lavished in expensive presents. This relationship style has gained a lot of traction over the past few years. And in London alone Sugar Baby Summits have been held since 2017.

Is a sugar baby the same as an escort?

Sugar babies sometimes get bad press or are the victim of trolls, mainly because of the issue of sex – and how it’s tied up in the financial relationship. But the girls insist they’re not the same as a prostitute or escort. The key difference is that a sugar daddy relationship is a regular arrangement. While an escort might be hired for the night, or as a one-off to attend a fancy party or event, a sugar baby would be meeting her ‘daddy’ several times a month as part of an ongoing plan. Although unconventional, the sugar baby set-up is a relationship of sorts – meaning the women are very different from a call girl, no matter how high-end.

Is a sugar baby relationship safe?

Those behind sugar daddy sites like Seeking Arrangement, What’s Your Price, Sugar Daddie and Rich Meet Beautiful insist it is safe and above board – but how much truth is there in that? Licensed prostitute Alex Page, from Nevada, where brothels are legal, has warned ladies against using “unsafe” sugar baby sites – after being grabbed by the hair and forced to have sex with her date. One concern is that the sugar babies can be asked to meet at their daddy’s home or a hotel room. Others worry that a man, having not only paid for the dates but extra expenses as well, would be more likely to expect sex. So there are definitely some risks involved, and a sugar baby needs to be clear on her boundaries before entering into a relationship. If sex is off the cards, make sure you’re only meeting in public places – like a restaurant.