A 69-year-old Dutch man, who claims to be a “young god,” has launched a legal bid to change his age to 49, with the hope of amassing better Tinder matches.
Meet Emile Ratelband, a life coach and “positivity guru” who wants to legally change his birth date to March 11, 1969 because his current age has the man “limited.”
“When I’m 69, I am limited. If I’m 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car,” Ratelband told British newspaper The Guardian. “I can take up more work. When I’m on Tinder and it says I’m 69, I don’t get an answer. When I’m 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position.”
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Ratelband, a single father, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) he had also tried to stop collecting his pension, and compared his bid to change his age to those who identify as transgender.
“Today we can choose our work, gender, political and sexual orientation. We even have the right to change our name,” Ratelband said. “So why do we not have the right to change our age?”
Ratelband claims doctors have told him he has the body of 45-year-old man.
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Ratelband’s lawyer acknowledged to AFP his client’s case is a long shot.
“This case is unprecedented, there is no jurisprudence,” Jan-Hein Kuijpers said. “The chances of success are minimal but we believe that the legislation must evolve with the times.”
According to the news service, a Dutch court must decide within four weeks whether the motivational speaker can legally take 20 years off his life.
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