Tropes on Trial: Are Readers Over the Billionaire Trope?
“Eat the rich,” they say—but when he’s about to whisk us away on his private jet, romance readers are singing a different tune.
The billionaire hero has captured the hearts of many in Romancelandia—the broody man striding through his penthouse in a crisp three-piece suit, hopping on business calls while driving his Porsche, and snapping up entire companies to only add to his wealth. We have to respect that the billionaire trope offered something we needed: escape. Power. A glossy, financially padded form of wish fulfillment. When the world felt unpredictable or unfair, these stories gave us a love that conquered all—in first class, with champagne, of course. If I’m being honest, the billionaire trope has never been my favorite, but I can certainly see the appeal. What if money really were no object at all, and a character were not constrained by what is financially possible? It opens up all sorts of opportunities, even if they are just fantasies in the pages of a romance novel.
But if there are no ethical billionaires, and people like Elon Musk and Taylor Swift could solve world issues for tens of thousands of people with merely a fraction of what they’ve earned, readers have different, more updated views on what it really means to be a billionaire. And that means they might be craving a different fantasy…
Why We Fell for the Billionaire in the First Place
All art, including romance books, are products of the times. When faced with economic recessions or personal uncertainty, who wouldn’t want to read a fantasy of abundance? A billionaire represented glitz, glamor, and, sexiest of all, financial safety, all represented in an untouchably confident person (often male). He could have anyone in the world, any supermodel or celebrity, but all he wanted was you. That’s really the heart of it: to be chosen by someone who could buy the world, but instead only wants to buy it for you. From Fifty Shades of Grey to the Kings of Wrath series, the billionaire hero has claimed our bookshelves and our hearts.
The Cracks in the Platinum Credit Card
Even the fan favorite tropes need a reality check from time to time. Considering the discourse surrounding the real-life billionaires of today, readers might not see a billionaire main character as the ultimate fantasy anymore. Romance books always have an element of fantasy to them, but the trope feels a bit…out of touch.
There’s an inherent power imbalance, and it’s a little hard to swoon over someone when you remember the enormous tax breaks they receive. When someone lives with such an advantage, it makes us wonder if this relationship feel like a true, equitable partnership. Can one character have equal footing when the other character owns a helicopter and private island?
But probably the biggest question readers might be wondering is: What kind of person is this, that they are a billionaire in today’s world? How did they earn their massive amount of wealth? Because billionaires are not made by paying everyone underneath them what they are worth, is that really the love story we want to watch?
At the end of the day, some readers may just want that exquisite, shiny fantasy. But for some readers (like myself), it’s hard to completely separate life from fiction—and we might just want a different fantasy altogether.
Money Can’t Buy Love
We can learn a lot by looking at what’s popular in the romance book genre right now. It’s no coincidence that with everything going on in the world, cowboy romances are having a serious moment. From authors like Lyla Sage to Elsie Silver to Bailey Hannah, readers can’t seem to get enough of these stories that feature everyday, hardworking men with dirt on their boots and hearts of gold.
If, like me, you believe there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire, then it can be hard to root for a romantic lead whose main personality trait is being a billionaire. If they’re self-aware, flawed, and grappling with the moral weight of the world…well, that’s much more interesting. If readers still want the fantasy, then at least they should get it with a lot of heart.
Furthermore, money can’t buy love and affection. Someone (real or fictional) could have all the money in the world, but what readers will really connect to is not what they’re able to afford—it’s their actions and their words. A character who has more money than what they know what to do with who also remembers your latte order or will crouch down to help you tie your shoes if you’re too pregnant to see your feet? Now that’s where the real romance is.
Verdict: Not Guilty (But on Probation)
Is the billionaire trope officially cancelled? Definitely not. But it’s certainly a good time for the trope to evolve. This is the perfect opportunity for romance books written with nuance and empathy where the billionaire is still grounded in emotional truth (even when the rest of the setting feels drenched in opulence). If what readers really want is security, and a tender, real love, then how can that be the focus rather than the balance in the main character’s bank account?
So no matter how big a check he (or she!) can write, these billionaire characters will have to earn their Happy Ever After the old-fashioned way: with emotional vulnerability, respect, and a genuine love that can’t be bought.
