'Money is everything these days': Malaysian man on earning $14.5k a month as online boyfriend, $4,000 to 'be friends'

You've heard of friends with benefits, but how about being a friend for benefit?

That's exactly what Maliq and twin brother Raihan (not their real names) have done, bagging themselves around RM50,000 (S$14,500) in two months as 'online boyfriends', they told Says in an article published on Thursday (Sept 14).

It started out as a joke, Maliq, 23, told Malay publication Harian Metro.

"This idea came to mind when I was studying in college. I'll be honest — I don't want to brag or anything, but I did have a lot of fans in college.

"I was just a bit tired from dealing with messages and calls on my phone and social media because I had too many admirers," Maliq claimed.

From there, he developed the idea of opening a service to lend an ear to those who want to talk but have no one to speak to.

[[nid:563435]]

He also extended his services to sightseeing on a scooter in Kuala Lumpur (RM169), sending flowers on convocation day (RM139), delivering food (RM89), video calls (RM6) and more.

"In the beginning, I was a bit concerned," Maliq recalled. "My first video (advertising my services) was made just as a joke, but the video got 500,000 views on the first day.

"On the second day, it went up to 900,000, eventually reaching 1.3 million."

It's not all fun and games, however, as he says he has come across some more complicated clients.

He said: "A man told me he wanted to kill himself due to the extreme pressure he's under in life.

"Thank god he didn't commit suicide after listening to my advice and seeing my face."

Both brothers don't show their faces when promoting their services on TikTok. 

His clients aren't limited to the common man, however, as he also explained that higher-profile individuals have invited him to hotels, but he rejected those offers.

"I don't put any conditions. Just don't push my limit because there are many requests to see my face," Maliq added. 

Raihan and Maliq even offer a money-back guarantee if clients do not find them handsome.

He also shared more about his clientele: "My customers are diverse. From young to old, men to women, I've met artistes and VVIPs.

"As long as [the requests] don't exceed my limitations, I will continue. Sorry to say this, but money is everything these days.

"I have been running this service for two months, and in that period I've reached a monthly income of RM50,000," he said.

Real love not included

Raihan told Harian Metro that he charges RM3,500 per hour on the phone or for video calls.

"In a day, I'll have at least one customer, and at most three to five… how long (the service is) is up to the customer. The longer it takes, the more expensive it'll be," Raihan, also in his 20s, said.

His clientele includes working adults of varying social backgrounds and ranges from singles to married individuals, regardless of gender.

Raihan describes himself as being 168cm tall, 68kg and of fair skin, with curly-straight hair and a UK shoe size of 8.5, Says reported.

"At first, it was just for fun… but afterwards it became like a career," he explained.

[[nid:636558]]

He added: "If it's online, I'm usually their friend for chats or video calls, but there are also people who want me to watch them masturbate… in short, I don't do it for free, everything is paid."

There are also customers who want to be accompanied on vacations abroad, he said, but for those cases he brings friends along as a safety measure.

The services he offers don't include sex, and he also refuses to be a real lover because he doesn't want to be bound by the commitment of a relationship, he told Harian Metro.

Additionally, he's also busy with work as a sales executive, which he started in 2022 after graduation.

"I want to make this something fun," Raihan said. "They want to give me various gifts, but I refuse them because I don't want to commit.

"Recently, I got an offer of RM15,000 just for being friends and RM10,000 for hanging out. Now, I take on offers if I have free time and if the requirements don't take long to complete," he said.

ALSO READ: Is dating haram? Young adults in Singapore give their views on romance and intimacy

khooyihang@asiaone.com