For most of Mati Roy’s life, dating was far down on his list of priorities. Though he halfheartedly tried dating apps, and would have welcomed a relationship if it developed naturally, pursuing love didn’t seem worth the effort.
But as Mr. Roy entered his 30s, his priorities began to shift. He spent a long time ruminating over the ethics of having children, then decided that he wanted some of his own.
In December 2021, Mr. Roy put together an online dating bio, otherwise known as a “date-me doc,” and encouraged people to share it online. He noted that he was 6 feet 2 inches tall, didn’t drink, smoke or do drugs and leaned less interested in spending time together than typical couples would.
Children were important, so, to sweeten the pot, he offered $2,000 to whoever introduced him to the person he would end up legally co-parenting with. (Mr. Roy chose that wording so it wouldn’t rule out adoption.) The money was an experiment, and the amount reflected a sum that might motivate people to get involved.
Mr. Roy, now 33 and a project manager at OpenAI, called the reward a “dating bounty.” One friend offered an additional $1,000 with an easier requirement: It would go to whoever introduced Mr. Roy to a person who brought him “a lot of joy” for at least 18 months. Another friend, Anatoliy Zaslavskiy, who goes by Toli, added $500 with the same 18-month condition, bringing the full bounty up to $3,500.