The term pay pig refers to the submissive participant in financial domination or findom. Also known as a money slave, finsub, cash piggie, or human ATM, a pay pig provides money and gifts to a financial dominant sometimes referred to as a findom, money mistress, money dom, goddess, or cashmaster.
Financial Domination
Financial domination, commonly referred to as findom, findomme, or financial BDSM, is a consensual power-exchange dynamic in which a submissive or slave — often referred to as the pay pig — willingly engages with a dominant individual whose objective is to exert financial control over them. Typically, this type of relationship does not incorporate sexual elements as seen in other forms of power exchange.
In the realm of findom, the dominant exerts emotional control over the financial slave rather than physical dominance, as is common in many other BDSM relationships. In fact, many financial dominants do not physically share space with their slaves. Instead, the majority communicate through online platforms such as webcams, instant messaging, or email. Additionally, they may communicate through phone calls or text messages.
While the power dynamic is central to a findom relationship, it is crucial to understand that every facet of domination and the associated limits are negotiated and consented to by all parties involved. These terms can be revisited at any time, and consent may be withdrawn at any moment for any reason.
“In any power exchange, everything must be consensual. Trust and constant communication are essential," says Sara Sloan, a Couples and Sex Therapist at Austin Concierge Therapy
A financial dominant may engage in acts of humiliation, degradation, or consensual extortion towards their financial slave in return for monetary compensation or gifts. The dominant may also request funds or possessions they believe they are entitled to, or even take on the role of the slave’s financial advisor. The act of extracting money or gifts through financial domination is termed "money slavery" or "wallet rape."
Why do people like being pay pigs?
Individuals who identify as financial slaves often perceive their findom as deserving of their servitude, willingly bestowing money and gifts upon them. They derive pleasure from the vulnerability experienced when their findom engages in humiliation, degradation, or blackmail. This blackmail is typically characterized as "consensual blackmail," with terms agreed upon in advance.
Financial slaves may derive pleasure from this form of domination and may engage in self-stimulation in the presence of their dominant, contingent upon prior consent. Generally, the act of paying tribute to the dominant is central to this kink, with many finsubs not seeking or anticipating any reciprocation.
According to Sloan “Submissives in FinDom relationships may also have shame around money and how much they earn, while others may believe money is all they have to offer a partner; others may only be comfortable offering money in place of real affection or connection.”
Financial domination is thought to have emerged as early as the 1990s, flourishing alongside the expansion of online platforms that provided a secure digital environment for such interactions.
Research on Financial Domination
Studies on financial domination have been published in 2007 and 2021. Each involved observing websites and social media accounts over the course of several years. Researchers involved in both studies arrived at similar conclusions:
- The internet has created a market for sexual services that are easy to use and anonymous, making in-person encounters obsolete for some practices, including forms of domination.
- Online networks efficiently connect people with alternative interests, such as BDSM.
- In cyberspace one’s persona does not have to reflect their real world identity allowing people to masquerade as whomever they wish to be.
These three factors all contributed to the emergence of a robust financial domination scene. The 2007 study approached this as a postmodern phenomenon while the 2021 study looked at the world of moneydoms in comparison to that of influencers.
