Howie Felterbush
Bow Tie Daddy
I don't think it's always a conscious thing, as blatant as "I'm going to marry a rich man or bust!" That's full-throttle gold-digging. I think it's more complicated.
Picture high end club with a doorman. The women are generally going there to dance, but the men are there for the women. The guy who has money has access to, say, the VIP lounge and can be showy enough to order a bottle of Grey Goose and have them leave it. If he invites a girl up and she accepts, it's most likely going to be because she's possibly never been in the VIP lounge and this is her chance, he's providing something exciting and new - she didn't go to him because he's got money exactly, she went to him because of the options his money bought, rather than a guy on the dance floor who had to sacrifice something else during the week to scrape the cover together.
Probably correct.
The money doesn't hurt, but it's not the only factor.