Would You End Up Dating An A-Lister? This Is What Occurred Whenever I Was Accepted On Raya, The dating that is secret For The Famous And Rich

By having a waiting listing of over 100,000, Raya may be the uber-exclusive relationship software for the famous and rich. But does it live as much as the buzz? Emily Maddick investigates.

This has taken me personally almost 2 yrs and a relocation that is temporary Los Angeles, but I’ve done it. Whenever the notification is received by me, giddy with excitement, I’m for a hen do and blurt away, ‘I’m regarding the A-list dating app!’ The morning that is next moderately mortified by my exuberance, I field enquiries in regards to what precisely this mystical app is. ‘Amy Schumer came across her spouse onto it,’ we explain. ‘I’m sure a person who matched with Chandler from Friends!’ never ever mind personal members’ clubs and VIP wristbands. Finally, I’ve been accepted on to Raya.

And, embarrassing as it can sound, I’m one of many in switching acceptance with this app that is dating an individual accomplishment and status sign.

As my buddy Tessa, 33, recalls, ‘It felt f***king great! Completely an ego thing, but I became literally high-fiving everyone.’ Because this is not simply any app that is dating. Or perhaps is it? Raya – meaning ‘friend’ in Hebrew – premiered in Los Angeles in 2015 by having a veil of privacy. The group behind this has never ever marketed or used any advertising or PR campaign, relying entirely on person to person. It wasn’t until a year ago that the creator, 35-year-old technology industry maverick Daniel Gendelman, unveiled their identification in an meeting within The New York occasions. With particular individuals – superstars among them – reluctant to test more widely available dating apps, he had ‘tried to fix a huge issue for a tiny bit of people’, he stated.

The company hasn’t revealed investors or released information that is financial. People usually joke so it’s like Fight Club: ‘The first guideline of Raya is you don’t mention Raya.’ (Perform demands for an meeting with Gendelman https://datingmentor.org/android/ went unanswered.) which haven’t stopped a-listers registering in droves from what happens to be referred to as ‘The Soho House of dating apps’ or, less flatteringly, ‘Illuminati Tinder’. Channing Tatum, Cara Delevingne, John Mayer, Harry Styles, Sharon rock, Alexander Wang and Ruby Rose are rumoured to possess been users. One user explained she recently spotted an A-lister that is one half A hollywood power that is very-much-still-married few. No matter that Kelly Osbourne, among the very first celebrity users, when stated, ‘It’s kind of obnoxious if you were to think about any of it. an app that is dating the elite? Actually?’

In which the A-list goes, other people you will need to follow. Just last year, it had been reported Raya has over 10,000 users and 100,000+ in the waiting list, while one hopeless applicant offered $10,000 in money for a merchant account. But just 8% of applicants apparently get accepted, which, whilst the ny circumstances points down, makes the software ‘a slightly harder nut to break than Harvard Business School’. To become listed on, you should be selected by two users. Your social media marketing profile will be examined by a group of 500 trusted users, when it comes to supporters, career, lifestyle and whether you appear the component. The anonymous committee that is global review the applications. a blue verification tick, be that on Twitter or Instagram, is believed to enable you to get fast-tracked, while just how many current Raya users follow you is vital.

It was during a recent stint in LA that two of my friends out there – both relatively well-known – nominated me after I failed to be accepted while in London. Six days later, that ‘Welcome to Raya’ notification popped through to my phone. And when inside, exactly what an event! Right after paying simply £23.99 for a subscription that is six-monthor £7.99 per month), you select a ‘soundtrack’ to accompany your slideshow all the way to six pictures (the application syncs with iTunes and Raya is just available on Apple products. Obvs).

We decide on a classic whitney houston track and start swiping. Gendelman has reported that conspicuous shows of wide range usually are rejected (‘A lot of applications are only a Lamborghini, a yacht and a personal airplane, and we’re like, “See you later on”’). But we see lots of Dom-PГ©rignon-popping-on-a-yacht shots, Lamborghinis, personal jets – one profile image is merely a view that is aerial of. (in the event that you decide to try to screengrab some of them, a stern warning pops through to your phone that such behavior isn’t tolerated.) Due to the ‘intimacy’ of Raya, users can simply access around 25 pages at any right time, that could be aggravating. ‘i did son’t actually engage it after a few years,’ Alison, 44, informs me. ‘Mainly since most for the people i stumbled upon were in numerous countries. It’s bad sufficient wasting a night on a bad date, and never having to journey to Miami because of it.’ Tessa adds, ‘I find yourself liking everybody in London, perhaps not because we necessarily fancy them, simply because they’re local.’