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Skimpy gifts, a thinning allowance and a resounding "no" to that impromptu escape on the private jet: Times may be getting tough for the mistress who caters to the whims of a millionaire.

Facing financial losses, more than 80 per cent of male multimillionaires will claw back on their mistress fund, according to a survey from Prince & Associates Inc., a Connecticut-based wealth research firm.

The firm surveyed 518 millionaires on a range of wealth management topics. All were worth at least $20-million (U.S.), owned a private jet and had a spouse. Of those, 191 admitted to having kept someone on the side for more than a year. Two-thirds were men and one-third were women.

"Twelve per cent of the 191 said they dropped these people completely for financial reasons," president Russ Prince said.

In the face of the financial crisis, men proved to be the cheapos: 81 per cent said they planned to lower their mistresses' daily allowance, including cutting the limitless credit card. Seventy-five per cent planned to cut perks such as jet rides and elegant apartments, and 85 per cent gunned for cheaper gifts.

By comparison, 54 per cent of female philanderers planned to raise their gigolos' allowances, possibly to draw their strapping hunks closer during tough times.

"I'm finding it's much better to be kept by women than men," Mr. Prince said.

Would the threat of a mistress leaving them get Scroogy male millionaires spending again? Mr. Prince said more than half were not concerned: "They don't care. They'll replace them."

A long-time wealth analyst, Mr. Prince still was surprised by how blasé rich men were about divulging the fact that they keep mistresses. "It's like, 'Of course we do! She has the pool boy, what the hell do I care?' "