Tinder, the mobile dating app, is going public today (ticker symbol MTCH) under parent company Match Group (which also owns Match.com and OKCupid.) But of course, as with everything Tinder related, that couldn't happen without some controversy.
Sean Rad, the 29-year-old co-founder and CEO, gave an interview to the London Evening Standard on the eve of the company's Wall Street debut and the story served up some very different numbers about Tinder's users and swipes. This prompted an 11th hour SEC filing in which the Match Group distanced itself from Rad saying he was not speaking on behalf of Tinder.
Rad went on to talk about his sexual conquests (there have been 20), his views on male appendages, how rich he is and how a supermodel is begging to be with him. He even suggested that journalist Nancy Jo Sales, the Vanity Fair reporter who wrote one of the most damning articles about Tinder, has some skeletons in her closet.
This is all from the guy who was ousted when one of his co-founders filed a lawsuit against him and another co-founder after an office romance gone wrong. Then Rad got a second chance, but why?
Yes, dating in Atlanta is bad, but maybe you don't have to resort to Tinder.
RELATED: Why Atlanta is one of the worst cities for dating
There are more dating apps now than ever, which means you may not have heard of most of them. Here are a few alternatives to Tinder that owners of a lonely heart may want to consider:
Bumble : You actually may have heard of this one as it was founded by Whitney Wolfe, the Tinder co-founder who settled her sexual harassment suit for an undisclosed amount. Bumble functions like Tinder with left and right swiping but conversations can only be started by women and if it doesn't happen within 24 hours, the guys disappear.
Heartbeat : Launching on Nov. 20, this new app from the founders of Wyldfire brings video chatting into the dating app space with the idea that you can't fake the funk in a video. Women initiate the first contact and are able to have a face-time like chat with their matches rather than texting or sending selfies.
Once : Professional matchmakers look through the options for you and send you one potential match per day based on your preferences (age, ethnicity, religion, etc.) The only person who can see you is the one you are matched with. You get 24 hours to interact or pass.
Sparkstarter : This is another app for those who prefer to have a matchmaker. For singles it is similar to other dating apps, but your friends can vote up or vote down the matches they think are good for you. A compatibility score is generated based on data including demographic information, the number of mutual friends you have and the number of up or down votes you get.
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