I have seen both men and women peddle the idea on PPD that if a woman wouldn't date you when you are making 50K, but would date you when you are a top earner then 'she only wants you for your money.'

This is untrue. Very attractive, good natured women can date almost anyone they want. All things being equal, of course they would want to be with someone who has more money than less. Most attractive women have a threshold of financial success they are looking for, but beyond that they are interested primarily in qualities like chemistry, good looks, romance, etc.

The more attractive a woman is, the higher her minimum threshold of financial success will be because they can get all the attributes they want in men without compromising on quality of life. These women can almost always get a much richer partner than they have, but choose not to because they will not sacrifice more money for a good relationship.