The Sugar Diaries

What is it about sugar relationships, where men provide younger women with cash and gifts in exchange for companionship and intimacy, that attracts both parties? We talk to a sugar baby and a sugar daddy to find out.

- Adora Wong

Nicole*, 22, lives in Malaysia. She met both her sugar daddies on TheSugarBook early last year. "The first time I got into a sugar relationship, I didn’t even know I was in one. I met a great guy who was older than me while I was travelling, and he offered to pay for my whole trip if I followed him around, so I did. It was a lot of fun and he was very generous. When the trip ended, so did our sugar relationship.

I’m currently seeing two sugar daddies – one in Malaysia, and the other in Singapore. They know about each other. The Malaysian sugar daddy is 40 and pays for my rent and car instalments, while the Singaporean one is 38 and flies me there from time to time for shopping and fun.

I got into sugar dating because I prefer to date men who aren’t concerned about spending money. I’ve dated men who expected me to pay for my own McDonald’s meal and movie ticket, and I don’t want to date those types anymore.

I have a lot of admiration for my sugar daddies. Their success in their respective fields inspires me. The monetary support allows me to pursue my career as a freelance graphic artist but they also give career guidance to help me find my way in this world. For example, one taught me how to build my own website and implement an e-commerce platform so people from all over the world can buy my art, while the other taught me how to stock-take and keep track of payments.

I don’t think a sugar relationship is anything like prostitution. A sugar relationship is nurturing but prostitution is strictly transactional. Sex happens naturally when there is attraction and chemistry, and the thing about sugar relationships is you don’t have to get involved with someone you don’t feel attracted to. Many sugar relationships evolve into good friendships, and some even into marriages.