Trump’s economy has come for sugar babies

When Nikki is in effect She called one of her former parents in March, wanting to talk about money, but not in the way he expected. Although at one point she was earning $20,000 a month and enjoying first-class flights to New York City, Sarian now needed investment advice.

Specifically, Sarian wanted to know what stocks to buy, “like where I should safely put my money or whether I should put it in the stock market at all,” she told WIRED. Instead, her father, a financial man in his late 60s, suggested setting up a slow-growth, low-risk investment account with Charles Schwab that would be a safer bet on Wall Street. Considering that President Donald Trump’s “social truth” posts can cause global markets to rise and fall in an instant, he may be right.

“He told me not to invest in any stocks right now, so I can calm down and relax, because everything will be fine right now,” she says.

During this latest economic downturn, as the cost of living has risen for everyone and employment has reached historic pandemic-era lows, sugar hookups — arrangements in which one person provides financial support and gifts in exchange for romantic companionship — have become, for some, an essential survival strategy. But the sugar that is exchanged is no longer just monthly allowances and luxury travel, it has also become financial experience.

Sarian, who is 30 and lives in Los Angeles, doesn’t usually ask for advice, she gives it. On TikTok, where she posts under the moniker SugarBabyBestie, she teaches women how to make a quick buck, spreading knowledge about the best sugar spots and how to avoid scammers. “It’s like playing chess,” she says of the lifestyle. At first, her father’s previous suggestion to set up an investment account surprised her, but she eventually embraced the idea. “It’s growing slowly, but it’s still growing,” she says of her money.

The fraught economic conditions have also dried up spending for many sugar daddies. This shift has led to something of a sugar recession, where there is now diminishing demand and excess supply.

“In this economy, I stopped sugar,” says Brian, a father in his 40s who works in technology, and who, like many of the sources in this story for professional reasons, asked to be identified by his first name only. “Trump’s tariffs didn’t help, and now we’re seeing the rise of artificial intelligence. The really wealthy won’t be affected and will move on, but I think life is about to change for the entire class of low-level millionaires who make up the majority of millionaires.” [sugar daddies]. In fact, there is much less money to bathe beautiful women.

Even for parents who don’t have to cut back on their spending, despite inflation and the rising cost of goods, not everyone wants to pay so much anymore. “Just because men are able to pay more, that doesn’t necessarily translate into a greater amount of money they’re willing to give,” says Will, a Milwaukee-based accountant and father in his 40s. “You don’t see Jeff Bezos going to Starbucks and paying $100 for a $5 cup of coffee just because he can afford it. We see a little bit of that in the sugar bowl.”

Roxanne, a 42-year-old Denver resident, has made dozens of arrangements during the 20 years she’s been a sugar baby. She says the impact of the political environment on lifestyle has changed everything. “For women who depend solely on sugar as a source of income, the impact has been difficult. They have had to find other means of income, sometimes dealing with more than one father, working multiple jobs, or even resorting to full-blown prostitution.”