Boss of controversial dating websites a PSC bond-breaker

[MarrickG]

[Above: Mr Brandon Wey with his girlfriend.]

The Singapore-born boss of several controversial US dating websites was a Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarship bond-breaker, reported the Straits Times today.

A PSC Secretariat spokesman confirmed that Mr Brandon Wey, 41, broke his scholarship contractual obligations when he never returned from the United States.

Wey, currently living in Las Vegas, was awarded an Overseas Merit Scholarship to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to read physics.

To settle the matter, his parents had to pay about $300,000 in liquidated damages.

Not only did he break his bond, Mr Wey may also have broken the law here for evading national service (NS).

Then 19, Mr Wey had been granted a deferment to study after serving nine months of NS, but never came back to serve the rest of his stint.

Asked why he chose not to return, Mr Wey - an alumnus of St Andrew's Secondary School and Hwa Chong Junior College - said he blamed the Defence Ministry (Mindef) and PSC for being 'inflexible'.

Wey said he had requested to switch to an electrical engineering course in his third year, but was rejected.

He also appealed to PSC and Mindef for an extension of time to do a Master's course at MIT but was also refused.

Going against his father's advice, Wey did what he felt was right and obtained an electrical engineering degree. No additional cost was involved as the two courses shared similar modules.

He then stayed on in the US to complete an MBA, which he paid for himself by working full-time for US-based logistics software firm, which sponsored his green card.

Wey also cited a 'bad experience' during his time in the Officer Cadet School (OCS) - which he failed - for his decision not to return to Singapore. Mindef declined to comment on his case on grounds of confidentiality.

Paying the 'ultimate price'

The millionaire entrepreneur describes himself as being "young and rash" then, and says he is now paying the "ultimate price" for his decision to skip NS.

He told the Straits Times: "That's the inability to return home to see my parents, to attend school reunions, or to visit my childhood friends. But yes, I still consider Singapore my home."

Socially awkward

Described by friends as 'socially awkward' and 'geeky', Wey told the New Paper he was so shy when he was younger that the mere thought of going up to a girl to ask her out was petrifying.

So the website is for guys like him who can use money to "buy the ice-breaker".

Wey made his first million after he founded SeekingArrangement.com in 2006. The website matches "sugar daddies" to young women.

He also set up SeekingMillionaire.com, a platform for rich men to find beautiful women.

His latest venture is dating website, WhatsYourPrice.com where "generous" members offer money, from US$20 (S$24) to even US$1,000, for a date with "attractive" members, usually women.

Wey's businesses have been criticised for being sexist and deplorable, but he claims the negative publicity is what he is hoping for.

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[singveld]

I hate his site. Pay money for woman, that is an futile exercise to failure, there always a richer man around the corner.

But you know, if everyone is as rich as his family.
no one want to come back to singapore to serve NS, why ? defend the jobs of foreigners and lee family and his cronies? that is a glorious job to die and get yourself permanently injured, and they will not care shit if you do, they do not also care about your human right in NS.

come back and work under his cronies by serving bonds? yeah, USA or singapore? USA any time.

i am sure many people in singapore will do so too. Unless you are white horse, you will be given choosy job. you might not mind serving NS.

I have to serve my NS, because my family have no money. But if my family are rich, i guess i will do the same.

 

[jw5]

i am sure many people in singapore will do so too. Unless you are white horse, you will be given choosy job. you might not mind serving NS.

I have to serve my NS, because my family have no money. But if my family are rich, i guess i will do the same.

No lah bro, rich family also must serve NS one, but may be different type from ours, like in an air con lab lah...........

Btw, I hate his site too but for different reasons. No woman (or man for that matter) is worth paying this type of money for............

 

[singveld]

No lah bro, rich family also must serve NS one, but may be different type from ours, like in an air con lab lah...........

all the filthy rich bugger son serve in air con office, air con lab or air con building. too risky to hurt the sons, the father might bring the money away from singapore.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Sidetracked to ask this...
Why did his parents had to fork out 300k if he was not coming back?
Best to my knowledge given his age, the amount back then was about 75k only.

Also he has been away for 30 plus years and he still feels he is a sinkie?

 

[sense]

But you know, if everyone is as rich as his family.

Rich? That bugger made his parents poorer by a whopping $300k. God knows if the father gone into bankruptcy. Moreover, his irresponsible act of choosing to abandon his parents and go wild in the US hurts his parents much emotionally. Looking at the current situation, his parents are likely to not see him during in their deathbed, ie. as good as losing a son for good.

 

[Windsor]

Something never been made an issue is that NS broke up some families and a tipping point for some families to make the decision to migrate. It is also one of the causes of the untimely death and permanent injury to promising youths who were unfortunate.

 

[scroobal]

It around there. Now it ranges from $400K to $600K. Bond is always priced much higher than the actual cost. This is to compensate for the lost of a talent. There is an opportunity cost as the scholarship gone to another person who in the meantime had accepted some other scholarships or gone private.

Sidetracked to ask this...
Why did his parents had to fork out 300k if he was not coming back?
Best to my knowledge given his age, the amount back then was about 75k only.

Also he has been away for 30 plus years and he still feels he is a sinkie?

 

[scroobal]

I know of a case where the parents who were public servants migrated in the 80s to avoid their 2 sons doing NS. They left late. The father set up a small restaurant. Both sons however turned out to be losers and both cannot enter Singapore. Their mum who is teacher till todays regrets the decision. People move for all the wrong reasons.

Something never been made an issue is that NS broke up some families and a tipping point for some families to make the decision to migrate. It is also one of the causes of the untimely death and permanent injury to promising youths who were unfortunate.

 

[Windsor]

I know of a case where the parents who were public servants migrated in the 80s to avoid their 2 sons doing NS. They left late. The father set up a small restaurant. Both sons however turned out to be losers and both cannot enter Singapore. Their mum who is teacher till todays regrets the decision. People move for all the wrong reasons.

My brother and his family left and now staying in California as citizens. His 2 young sons left before their 11th birthdays so they need not pay any bond. Since then they go in and out of Singapore without any problems.

 

[scroobal]

Great planning. I also know of those who left later but made arrangements for their sons to come and do their NS before going back.

My brother and his family left and now staying in California as citizens. His 2 young sons left before their 11th birthdays so they need not pay any bond. Since then they go in and out of Singapore without any problems.

 

[Windsor]

Great planning. I also know of those who left later but made arrangements for their sons to come and do their NS before going back.

Those who are bonded are those who did not plan ahead and I am sure a few had problems managing their funds to pay for their kids' education plus having to deposit a bond.

 

[eErotica69]

On the NS part, I disgree with him and think that he is a loser..

But as an entreprenuer, I think he is brillant!!

 

[drifter]

he created supply for the demands ...good job .