The 19-year-old US model Giselle has sold her virginity online for $4.3m. Photo / @CinderellaEscorts
The 19-year-old US model Giselle has sold her virginity online for $4.3m. Photo / @CinderellaEscorts
A 19-year-old US model claims to have sold her virginity to an Abu Dhabi-based businessman for nearly $4.3 million on a controversial auction website.
Cinderella Escorts, a Germany-based website which encourages young women to auction their virginity to wealthy older men, says the winning bid of 2.5 million euro ($3.87 million) beat an offer of $US2.4 million ($3.16 million) from a "Hollywood actor" and $US1.8 million ($2.37 million) from a "Russian politician".
The woman, known as Giselle, said in a statement released by the website that it was a "dream come true", reports News.com.au.
"Every woman has to decide on her own if it is worth to give her virginity for free to a boyfriend who maybe later on will break up with her, rather than selling it," she said.
"But I made my decision and now I can study wherever I want, buy a new house and travel around the world. It gives me a lot of opportunities."
Giselle described the trend of women selling their virginity as "a form of emancipation", saying she was "shocked" at people who were against it.
"In other words, these people want to tell you what to do with your body as a woman, but they accuse somebody who is selling it of being against emancipation," she said.
Giselle is happy she can study wherever she wants, "buy a new house, travel the world". Photo / @CinderellaEscorts
"This is absurd. The fact that women can do what they want with their bodies and have the courage to live their sexuality free against the critics sets a sign for emancipation."
Giselle said if she wanted to "spend my first time with someone who is not my first love, that's my decision", and that she was "happy to be part of this new trend, part of the women's movement of recent history".
"A women's movement that advocates freedom and self-determination of sexuality and finally breaks the taboo about a woman's virginity," she said. "In retrospect, how many would probably give up their first time if they could have 2.5 million euros ($4.3 million) instead?
"Now everything has to be organised. The hotel for my meeting with the buyer in Germany is booked. Cinderella Escorts accompanies me to the meeting and stays close by as a security in case of problems. I have the opportunity to cancel the meeting at any time, but I am quite confident. I was able to talk to the buyer before and we are very [sympathetic]."
In a statement, Cinderella Escorts said it was "glad that we were able to help Giselle because we understood her dream and her motives".
"On our website you will find a video where girls from all over the world talk about the reasons to sell their virginity," the statement said.
"Girls from Australia, Europe, Africa, North and South America. From Arab countries and Asian. This shows us that the desire to auction a virginity is no exception.
"And on the other hand, the high bidding for Giselle's auction shows us how high the demand for virgins is. Business people from all over the world have been bidding. Cinderella Escorts has only allowed about 40 virgins on our website so far, because of a long process.
"We make sure that the girls do not have psychological problems, are grown-up and fully aware of their desires. For this, girls have to see a psychologist who will assure us of these points.
"The girls all have sex with condoms. We organise the hotel, stay close to the [hotel] as a contact person in case of problems and the girl can cancel the meeting at any time. There are some girls who are looking for a buyer for their virginity on their own. It is safer to run this on our platform."
Men who want to have sex with the escorts on the site have put down a 40 per cent deposit by transferring the funds to Cinderella Escorts' bank account prior to a meeting.
The remaining money is paid in cash to the women at the point of sale of sex, with Cinderella Escorts taking a 20 per cent cut. The website's founder was recently named in local media as 26-year-old Jan Zakobielski, who still lives in his mother's basement.
"No one makes these young women do anything they don't want to do," he said earlier this year. "They have their own minds and their own opinions on sexuality. We also reject girls where we feel that someone else is behind it and they do not want to sell their virginity on their own."
