Lately, I’ve noticed that more and more single men are openly discussing their desire to marry rich women. I took notice of the trend because it represents an inversion of gender roles in the traditional approach to marrying for money, which, over the course of history, has predominantly involved eager young women unabashedly pursuing eligible wealthy men.

This sudden emergence of mercenary bachelors can be explained, in part, by the poor state of the American economy. Increasingly, enterprising young men are losing faith in the conventional career paths that once guaranteed healthy-sized fortunes. Banking, as well as other professions in the financial sector, no longer promise truly irresistible rewards. And in addition to the troubles on Wall Street, there seems to be a consensus among the upwardly mobile that the nation has entered something of an economic Dark Age, where virtually all efforts to get rich the old-fashioned way through hard work and ingenuity are futile.

Full story: These Days, the Men Are Gold Diggers | VF Daily | Vanity Fair