At Brox.AI, we're building AI to understand humans, to create digital twins that predict future behaviour. Not humans as they present themselves in surveys, focus groups or online, but humans as they actually are. The messy, contradictory, deeply weird and wonderful creatures that we all know ourselves to be, and we have lots of interesting data to share…
Disclaimer: This substack is written in a personal capacity, it does not necessarily represent the views of Brox or my colleagues (be warned I will be occasionally shilling Brox) and even though many of the findings are powered by our AI, this substack is very much my personal take.
Welcome to the first instalment. It's about professional dominatrixes. And yes, it starts exactly where you think it might.
Yes, MAGA Republicans really do fantasise about being dominated by Michelle Obama.
I know this because a professional dominatrix in Washington DC told me. She has multiple clients who voted for Trump, donated to the campaign, work in politics, think Trump is amazing, and more than a few of them fantasize about Michelle Obama's sweat dripping onto their faces while she dominates them.
I should probably explain how I ended up having this conversation.
Part I: The Research
How This Started
At Brox.AI, the company I co-founded, we try to understand what makes people tick…
One of the ways we do this well is that we interview people across every sector of society imaginable. The goal, to understand human behaviour from the front lines, not from check-box surveys or someone's browsing history, but from the individuals themselves (we have something like 800,000 video interviews from 70,000 people worldwide across hundreds of topics, we mostly use AI for interviews, though not in this case.)
An interesting way to understand people is not just to interview them about themselves but also to interview people about other people, we started doing this with Doctors, Nurses, Realtors, Wealth Managers etc. But though insightful I wanted to chat with more "exciting" professions, and could think of nothing more exciting than professional dominatrixes. They're a discretionary luxury service. They interact with clients across every income bracket and profession. And they see people through an intensely personal lens.
So I emailed providers across the United States. One introduced me to another. Most of them said yes to an interview. The result: 39 in-depth conversations totalling over 1,400,000+ characters of transcripts. Providers ranging from 2 to 28 years of experience. Rates from $120/hour (a part-timer with a day job) to $1000+ for elite professionals. Locations spanning San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington DC.
All research was conducted in December 2025 and January 2026, in accordance with our ethical guidelines. All providers reviewed and approved their quotes, and privacy has been protected where requested.
My accountant is going to have questions about the Venmo and CashApp transactions to accounts named "Mistress Ruby Red" and "Goddess Artemis." (These are made-up pseudonyms as I have not used any real or active pseudonymous names.)
What I Expected vs. What I Found
I wasn't sure what to expect when starting this. I was hoping for some unique insights about people (which I got), and perhaps a few entertaining stories I could tell at dinner parties (which I also got).
But what I found was far more interesting: a window into male psychology that I haven't encountered anywhere else. A community of professionals with job satisfaction rates that would make any HR department weep with envy. And an extraordinarily sensitive economic indicator that responds to tariff announcements almost as fast as the stock market.
Part II: The Economics
The Headline Numbers
- Year-over-Year Session Decline: 20-40%
- Sessions/Week (2024 → 2025): 8-10 → 3-7
- Hourly Rate Range: $250 (amateur) - $1000+ (established)
- Average Session Revenue: ~$1,000
- Post-Pandemic Boom Duration: ~18 months
- New Provider Growth: 1.5 - 2x in 12 months
One Brooklyn provider reported income down approximately $20,000 year-over-year. A Miami provider with 28 years of experience described a 40% reduction in sessions compared to 2024. Multiple providers called Summer 2025:
"the worst in years."
But they're not lowering rates. They're losing volume instead, similar to housing market dynamics where sellers hold prices and accept fewer transactions rather than discount.
The K-Shaped Economy in Real Time
More broadly though the data reveals a textbook K-shaped recovery playing out in session bookings:
The wealthy clients (tech founders, family money, senior executives, people with significant equity): Booking patterns largely unchanged. One provider mentioned a client who bought her a five-story house. For this segment, it's been "a record year."
The middle-class clients (professionals with good salaries but no significant wealth): Extending time between sessions from monthly to quarterly. Asking for package deals. Shifting to more affordable online content instead of in-person sessions. One provider said clients are explicitly mentioning they "didn't get raises" and are "worried about year-end bonuses."
The working-class clients: Some have told providers they've been "saving up for two years" to afford a single session.
The Tariff Indicator
One provider gave me what might be the most responsive economic indicator I've encountered:
"When Trump first did the tariff stuff and no one knew what was going on—there were like no sessions going on. Everyone was scared. They didn't know what was happening with their money. And then it all settled down and it was back to business as usual."
Forget the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index. I want a Dungeon Booking Index.
Part III: The Psychology
I am not a trained psychologist. These findings are what providers have told me combined with my own interpretations.
What They Actually Provide
I asked every provider the same question: "What do you fundamentally provide to your clients?"
Not a single one led with the physical aspects. Not the whips. Not the leather. Not getting your rocks off. Not any of the things I, at least, expected.
Instead, they talked about providing the ability to be seen.
"They are paying me to see them at their most vulnerable. Their darkest, most shadow selves—the selves that they don't show to their family, their lovers, their therapist. And not only not judge them for it, but to celebrate and delight in it with them."
"What I'm providing is a space for them to express parts of themselves that they don't get to share with other people. Parts that society tells them are wrong or bad or weird. Being able to be seen and accepted."
This came up in every single interview. Every one. The physical activities vary enormously, but the underlying psychological need is remarkably consistent.
The Crisis of Modern Masculinity
Multiple providers described what I can only call a mental health crisis among men that they witness daily:
Men who haven't cried in decades:
"I will have subs that will just, after a scene, weep in my arms. And they'll tell me: 'I haven't cried in a decade. I haven't cried in two decades. I don't even tell my wife this stuff.'"
The prison of strength:
"The patriarchy really fucks everyone over. Even as a man who benefits from it, you're being told you have to be strong. You can't show emotion. You have to be a provider. You have to be dominant. You can't do these things. You can't show any sort of weakness because then you're not a man."
The sycophant problem:
"These men are surrounded by sycophants telling them yes all day. Nature abhors a vacuum. Decision fatigue is real. They want someone who will tell them what to do for a couple hours. They're looking to just turn their brain off and have someone else take charge."
The higher men rise, the fewer people will witness their weakness. And so they pay for it.
What I Personally Take From All This
A few themes emerge: Men seek underground outlets because above-ground options don't exist. We've lost rituals for surrender, kink fills a void left by religion, military service, and traditional hierarchy. There are fewer and fewer socially acceptable ways for men not to be in charge.
Shame doesn't make desires disappear. It just drives them underground, which often makes them more intense. And power seems to want to be balanced—the psyche naturally seeks equilibrium. One-dimensional dominance creates pressure that must be released somewhere.
Kink is not primarily about sex for most people. It's about the fundamental human need to be seen, accepted, and temporarily freed from the exhausting performance of identity that modern life demands.
Read the full article with all eight parts on Substack.