Say the words “sugar daddy” and chances are, the first image that springs to mind is of a successful, suavely dressed middle-aged man with an unquenchable thirst for 20-somethings, and an unlimited bank balance to spoil them in exchange for time, companionship and/or sex. Sugar daddies have been around for centuries. In fact, cultural historian Amie Lorey points to the existence of a phenomenon called “treating” as far back as the 19th century, where the lifestyles of unmarried women with low-paying jobs were funded by men in exchange for their company. Even today, sugar daddies help the young and the broke to enhance their lifestyles. In fact, thanks to the financial backlash and rising unemployment driven by the pandemic, sugar daddies have become a means of escape and assistance for young people across the world. While some sugar daddies prefer younger women for the power trip, a large section do so due to hidden trauma or complexes their brain has not yet processed. “I was doing therapy with a sugar daddy who didn’t have a great relationship with his daughter, and lost her to cancer,” said Hingorrany. “He told me that while he didn’t think of his young sugar baby as his daughter, since he was sexually attracted to her, there was some transference of emotions in terms of being her provider.”