Meet Ariane Madix’s new man.
A little over a month after Vanderpump Rules star learned of her longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval’s affair with co-star Raquel Leviss, Madix was seen spending time with new man Daniel Wai.
Madix and Wai first met at a mutual friend’s wedding in Mexico. They were then seen packing a PDA at Coachella in April 2023.
At the time, an insider told PEOPLE that Madix — who had just ended a nine-year relationship with Sandoval — didn’t want to rush into anything “serious.”
However, by May 2023, a source told PEOPLE that Madix had already “fallen in love” with Wai.
“It’s happening faster than she thought, but he’s treating her well, they’re having fun, and she’s happy to move on to this next chapter with such an amazing guy,” the insider said.
Read on to find out all about Madix’s boyfriend, Wai.
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He’s from New York
Daniel Wai/Instagram
Wai calls New York City his home. Although it is not known which college he attended, he studied computer science, business and mathematics when he enrolled.
Along with his course load to earn his degree, Wai wove his passion for physical fitness, participating in weight training and enrolling in boxing classes. “Although my passion led me toward physical fitness, logic directed me toward full-time corporate employment,” he wrote on his personal website.
He pursued a career in consulting
After graduating college, Wai pursued a career in consulting, with some of his clients being Fortune 500 companies. However, his fitness mindset shifted his focus to the gym—eventually working twice as a part-time trainer before and after work from nine to five.
According to Wai’s website, his consulting business required him to travel many hours around the country to meet the needs of his clients. After several years of that struggle, he “made an executive decision” to continue working as a consultant, but from his home in New York
Despite the change in location and pace, Wai said the consultant job was “neither fulfilling nor inspiring” compared to the training job he took on on the side. In fact, he wrote that it “changed my whole outlook on life.”
Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix relationship timeline
He left his job as a consultant to become a full-time coach
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Daniel Wai/Instagram
In order to fully fulfill his passion, he decided to leave his consulting job and pursue a full-time coaching career. After passing the National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer test, he did just that.
“I have been a coach for the last decade and it has been one of the most fulfilling and humbling experiences,” Wai wrote. “Being a point of inspiration, a support system, receiving compliments about how I’m changing their lives for the better has left me humbled and amazed.”
He became interested in physical fitness at the age of 13
Wai’s interest in fitness didn’t start in college. He has had an interest in “physical health and fitness” since he was 13 years old. “As a typical teenager I was insecure about my size and strength and decided to incorporate exercise and physical fitness into my life and it has been a big part of my life ever since,” he wrote on his website.
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He could change Madix’s mind about having children
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Daniel Wai/instagram
Not only did Wai do his thing Vanderpump Rules debuted in season 11, but also became the subject of a conversation between Madix and actress Lala Kent in a February 2024 episode of the reality show. She admitted that being with Wai “opened my eyes to a lot of different possibilities” when it came to having children – something she hadn’t considered for her future before.
“When I look back, having Tom as my partner affected my feelings about having children a lot more than I thought,” she said in the confessional. “I feel like with Dan, I kind of opened my eyes to the fact that there are different types of partners that would actually be true 50/50 partners, or if I can only give 10% that day, he’s willing to give 90.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education