Paris is different at 3:00 AM. The city of light starts to feel a bit more like a city of shadows, especially when you’re sitting in a hotel bar near the Place Vendôme, nursing a glass of Bordeaux that cost more than your first car's insurance premium. It’s here that the glossy, postcard version of France clashes with the transactional reality of the city's elite underground. I wasn't looking for a story, but stories have a way of finding you when the atmosphere is thick with expensive cologne and unspoken rules. That’s how I found myself talking to a man who, for the sake of privacy and French legal nuances, we’ll call Julien.
The callboy I met in Paris wasn't what I expected. Honestly, my brain was stuck on cinematic tropes—sleazy, desperate, or perhaps a bit too "American Gigolo."
Julien was different. He was polished.
He spoke three languages fluently and had a degree in art history from the Sorbonne. We sat there for hours. He wasn't on the clock with me; he was just waiting for a client who was running late from a gala at the Palais Garnier. In that time, he pulled back the curtain on a world that most tourists only guess at, a world governed by the Loi de 2016 and the complex social hierarchy of the Parisian night.
The Legal Tightrope of French Escorting
Understanding the life of the callboy I met in Paris requires a bit of a legal history lesson. France has a weird relationship with sex work. It’s not exactly "illegal" to be an escort, but it’s definitely not easy. In April 2016, France shifted its legal framework significantly. They adopted the "Nordic Model."
What does that actually mean for someone like Julien?
Basically, the act of selling sex is decriminalized for the provider, but buying it is a criminal offense for the client. If the police had walked into that bar and caught Julien in a transaction, his client would be the one facing a fine of €1,500. This law was intended to protect sex workers, but Julien told me it mostly just pushed everything further into the encrypted corners of Telegram and WhatsApp. It created a paradox where the "callboy" is legal, but his business model is technically a crime scene waiting to happen.
Beyond the Physical: The Role of the "Social Escort"
Most people think it’s just about the bedroom. It’s not.
The callboy I met in Paris explained that about 70% of his bookings involve being a "plus-one." Paris is a city built on appearances. Whether it’s an art gallery opening in the Marais or a high-stakes corporate dinner in La Défense, having the right person on your arm matters. Julien is hired because he can discuss the nuances of 18th-century sculpture and knows exactly which fork to use for the escargot.
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He’s a social chameleon.
He told me about a client—a high-powered executive from Tokyo—who hired him for an entire week just to act as a translator and cultural guide who could also provide intimacy. It’s a blurring of lines. Is he a tour guide? An actor? A therapist? He’s all of them. This is the "high-end" tier of the industry that rarely gets discussed in the news, which usually focuses on the more visible, and often more dangerous, street-based sex work in areas like the Bois de Boulogne.
The Digital Shift and Safety in the 2020s
The internet changed everything. In the past, a callboy in Paris might have relied on agencies that took a massive cut—sometimes up to 50%. Now, it’s all about independent branding.
Julien manages his own website. He uses specialized platforms like Eros or EuroGirlEscort (which, despite the name, hosts plenty of male providers). But the real work happens on social media. A carefully curated Instagram feed that looks like a luxury travel blog is the modern-day business card.
But there’s a dark side to the digital independence.
- No Vetting: Without an agency, Julien has to vet his own clients. He looks for LinkedIn profiles, asks for deposits via crypto or secure links, and always leaves a "dead man's switch" location ping with a trusted friend.
- Stigma: Despite the "glamour," Julien can't get a traditional mortgage easily. Banks in France are notoriously conservative. If your "consulting business" has irregular deposits that coincide with Fashion Week, red flags go up.
- Health: France has great healthcare, but navigating it as a sex worker requires finding "friendly" doctors who understand the specific needs of the community without judgment.
The Economic Reality of the Parisian Night
How much does a callboy in Paris actually make?
Julien was surprisingly candid. For a high-end independent, rates usually start at €300 per hour. An "overnight" can run anywhere from €1,500 to €3,000 depending on the expectations. During major events like Paris Fashion Week or the French Open, those numbers skyrocket.
But it’s not all profit.
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The overhead is staggering. You need a wardrobe that fits into the Ritz. You need memberships to the right gyms. You need to stay in a "central" arrondissement (1st, 2nd, 8th, or 16th) because no high-end client wants to send a car to the suburbs. Julien estimated that he spends nearly 40% of his gross income just maintaining the "image" required to command his rates. It’s a business of diminishing returns if you aren’t careful.
The Emotional Labor Nobody Talks About
We talked about the "GFE" and "BFE"—Girlfriend Experience and Boyfriend Experience.
The callboy I met in Paris emphasized that the "Boyfriend Experience" is often more about listening than anything else. He sees a lot of loneliness in the upper echelons of society. He’s often the only person a client can be honest with because he’s a paid outsider. There’s no judgment, no social consequences, and no long-term strings.
But that takes a toll.
"You become a sponge for other people's stress," he told me. He has to go to his own therapist once a week just to decompress from the "emotional dumping" his clients do. It’s a strange, intimate, yet distant relationship that exists in a vacuum.
Realities vs. Misconceptions
There’s a common belief that male sex work is dominated by the LGBTQ+ community. While a significant portion of the market is M4M (men for men), the M4W (men for women) market is growing in Paris. Julien works with both. He noted that female clients are often looking for the "romance" of Paris—the dinner, the walk by the Seine, the feeling of being seen.
The male clients? Usually more transactional, though not always.
The biggest misconception is that it’s "easy money."
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Julien works out two hours a day. He reads the news in three languages to ensure he can hold a conversation with anyone. He manages his own marketing, accounting, and security. It’s a 24/7 job where your body and your personality are the product. One bad review on a forum can tank a month's worth of bookings.
Navigating the Industry Safely: Actionable Insights
If you are looking to understand this world better or are researching the industry for any reason, there are several things to keep in mind regarding the Parisian landscape.
For Research and Understanding
If you're looking into the sociology of French sex work, look at the reports from Le Mouvement du Nid (who support the abolition of the system) versus STRASS (the sex workers' union in France). They offer two completely different perspectives on the same reality. One sees it as inherent exploitation; the other sees it as a labor right. Seeing the friction between these two groups is the only way to understand the political climate Julien lives in.
For Personal Safety and Ethics
If you are engaging with the industry, remember that the "Nordic Model" in France puts the legal burden on the buyer.
- Use Encrypted Apps: Most high-end providers in Paris will only communicate via Signal or Telegram for the initial vetting.
- Respect the Vetting: If a provider asks for a reference or a social media link, it’s for their physical safety. In a post-2016 France, they are more vulnerable to "robbery by appointment" because they cannot easily go to the police.
- Verify Independence: Direct booking through a provider's personal site is generally considered more ethical than going through "massage parlors," which often have opaque labor practices.
The callboy I met in Paris eventually checked his watch. His client had arrived at the hotel. He stood up, adjusted his charcoal-grey blazer, and offered a polite nod. He disappeared into the gilded elevator, leaving me with a half-empty glass of wine and a lot to think about.
Paris isn't just about the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre. It’s a city of complex human transactions, where the line between service and connection is as thin as a crepe on a street corner. The reality of the industry is far less "Pretty Woman" and far more "Small Business Owner," just with higher stakes and a much better wardrobe.
To truly understand the Parisian escort scene, one must look past the stigma and see the labor involved. It is a profession of extreme discipline, high risk, and a deep understanding of human psychology. Whether the French government eventually moves back toward a regulated "brothel" system or continues with the current restrictive model remains a heated debate in the National Assembly. For now, men like Julien will continue to navigate the shadows of the 8th Arrondissement, providing a service that is as old as the city itself.
Next Steps for Further Insight:
- Review the 2016 French Prostitution Law (Loi n° 2016-444) to understand the specific penalties for clients.
- Research the STRASS (Syndicat du Travail Sexuel) website for first-hand accounts of how current laws affect worker safety in France.
- Explore the sociological studies by Dr. Gwenola Ricordeau regarding the "decriminalization vs. legalization" debate in Europe.