Forbes recently announced its list of Fictional 15 – richest fictional characters. Alongside that are the lists of the world’s billionaires and the richest people in the U.S. As a marketer I was looking for the commonalities between the wealthiest of the wealthy and the one unifying trait was that they were all (ok, mostly all) men. Why are men the leaders of the financial pack? And if this is true, then why do luxury brands target women with their marketing efforts?

A quick Google search gives a bit of insight. The top three links were:

1. What women REALLY want: To marry a rich man and stay at home with the children
2. Top 4 Sugar Daddy Sites
3. Why are women more attracted to wealthy men

These links don’t answer why men are wealthier. But they do tell us that women are still marrying their way into the affluent world. And while their spouses are out earning more than they are, we know that they are the decision makers when it comes to purchasing, especially when it comes to categories like luxury travel.

What’s more, some projections say that by 2025 there will be more wealthy women than men. And in the end, women will have a leg up on men, because, as Sabre Corp. CEO “Jo” Bennett, says, you don’t get to be a billionaire by slacking off: “You get there by working hard or marrying rich, and I did both.”