Financial domination, also known as 'findom', is just one of the many sexual fetishes that fall under the umbrella of BDSM. And, as you might guess from the name, it involves money.
For those who have seen 'Euphoria', the fetish of financial dominance is prominently featured in season 1 where Kat (Barbie Ferreira) verbally degrades men in exchange for gifts from them. Julia Fox has also spoken about 'findom' in her memoir, explaining that her work as a financial dominant helped her make big changes in her life.
What is financial dominance, 'findom'?
'Findom' is a sexual fetish, but it is also seen as a lifestyle, where 'submissives' give money and gifts to their 'dominants'. Most often, the financial dominants are women and their submissives are men. 'Findom' is also considered part of BDSM, with money functioning as the ultimate exchange of power between two people, dominant and submissive, who accept these roles respectively.
How does it actually work?
Dominants take over their submissives' bank accounts and manage their budgets for them – sometimes even including assets like their homes. "I had one of my submissives sell his vacation home for me and deposit the proceeds directly into my bank account," explains one anonymous dominant.
Does 'findom' include sex?
Although financial domination is a sexual fetish, it doesn't actually involve having sex. "The most I've ever allowed a submissive to touch me was to kiss my feet after spending thousands and thousands of dollars on me," the dominant added.
What do submissives benefit?
Financial submissives take pleasure in knowing that they are sacrificing their resources for the pleasure and betterment of someone they perceive as their superior.
"Financial dominance is centered around what I want and my pleasure as opposed to traditional relationships where there is an exchange between the parties. Many women are raised to believe that it is their job to please a man and that if a man spends money on them, then they owe that man something. But with findom, I don't have to give anything back. For me, the real exchange is one of power, which is important enough."
But what is the attraction for men? An anonymous 'submissive' has given his explanation:
"The excitement comes from the thought that someone is invading the personal space of our finances. People measure their worth by their money. Financial dominance is intimacy, in a very capitalist and masochistic way."
"'Findom' is just another form of escape for people struggling with everyday life in this strange, money-obsessed modern society."
'Findom' has increasingly been seen as a way to empower women and manipulate weak men, but the anonymous narrator doesn't think that's the case.
But of course, there are risks for the submissive too: financial ruin, addiction, loss of property, increased debt levels, anxiety, psychological and physical harm (mainly through acts of self-torture). And there is also an impact on personal relationships in real life.
Despite this, the anonymous 'submissive' believes that this fetish is becoming more and more common and 'dominants' are taking increasingly bizarre steps to attract the attention of submissive men.
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Sources: Cosmopolitan, The Independent
