At 79 years old, multi-millionaire Sir Benjamin Slade took an unconventional path to build his family, turning to the dating app Tinder in pursuit of a significantly younger woman to father a son who would inherit his extensive 1,300-acre estate in Somerset.
Previously advertising in newspapers for a wife to bear him two sons, Sir Benjamin’s journey was chronicled in the Channel 5 show “Millionaire Age Gap Love.” Despite being born in 1946 and having been married before, he remained without children, fueling his ongoing quest for an heir.
On the programme, he confidently stated, “I don’t think I’m too old to have children because I have a nine-month supply frozen in a sperm bank and I can use that.” With some assistance from his staff, he created a Tinder profile—albeit shaving several years off his age to appear 56—then began navigating the app’s pool of potential matches.
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His experiences on Tinder were selective and candid; he expressed distaste for many profiles, critiquing both appearances and ages, emphasizing his preference for women under 40. Reflecting his unconventional outlook, he once likened his search for a young partner to wanting “a new car, you get a new car, not some old banger.”
Eventually, Sir Benjamin connected with Sahara Sunday Spain, an American poet and composer 46 years his junior. Following IVF treatment coordinated through an exclusive co-parenting agency, they welcomed a baby girl, Violet. However, what seemed a fairy-tale ending turned sour. Sir Benjamin called off two wedding ceremonies at the last minute, and his interest in the child is notably absent.
Reports emerged in 2022 that Sir Benjamin had never met Violet, who lives in France with her mother at their family’s 16th-century chateau. Sahara publicly condemned his lack of involvement, calling his behavior “utterly shameful.” She lamented that although he desired a son, he canceled their second wedding before knowing the baby’s sex, and questioned whether having a boy would have changed his feelings.
This situation has created “awkwardness,” according to a close friend, as Sir Benjamin’s search for a male heir remains unresolved. Meanwhile, the future of Maunsel House, the family estate, appears uncertain. Sir Benjamin is reportedly negotiating with a luxury hotel group to take operational control, though he may retain visiting rights—likely at a price.
In the end, Sir Benjamin’s decade-long pursuit of legacy through modern means has yielded complicated personal and familial outcomes, casting questions over the inheritance he so long sought.