Get to know Ariana Madix's new man.
A little over a month after the Vanderpump Rules star learned of her longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval's affair with costar Raquel Leviss, Madix was seen spending time with a new man, Daniel Wai.
Madix and Wai first met at a mutual friend's wedding in Mexico. They were then seen packing on the 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 — wasn't looking to rush into anything "serious."
However, by May 2023, a source told PEOPLE that Madix was already "falling in love" with Wai.
"It's happening faster than she thought but he treats her well, they're having fun, and she's happy to be moving on to this next chapter with such an incredible guy," the insider said.
Read on for everything to know about Madix's boyfriend, Wai.
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He's from New York
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Wai calls the city of New York his home. While it's unknown what college he went to, he studied computer science, business and math while enrolled.
On top of his course load to attain his degree, Wai intertwined his passion for physical fitness, taking part in weight training and enrolling in boxing classes. "Although my passion was driving me towards physical fitness, logic was pointing me towards full time employment in a corporation," he wrote on his personal website.
He pursued a career in consulting
After graduating college, Wai pursued a career in consulting, of which some of his clients included Fortune 500 companies. However, his fitness mindset shifted his focus to the gym — ultimately, working double duty as a part-time trainer before and after his nine-to-five job.
According to Wai's website, his consulting job had him traveling many hours around the country to meet his clients' needs. After various years of that grind, he "made an executive decision" to continue his work as a consultant, but from his home in N.Y.C.
Despite the change in location and pace, Wai said the consulting job was "neither fulfilling nor inspiring" in comparison to the training job he picked up on the side. In fact, he wrote that it "changed my entire outlook on life."
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He quit his consulting job to be a full-time trainer
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To completely fulfill his passion, he decided to quit his job in consulting and pursue a career as a trainer full-time. After passing his National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer test, he did just that.
"I have been a trainer for the past decade and it has been one of the most fulfilling and humbling experiences," wrote Wai. "To be a point of inspiration, a support system, receiving praise on how I was changing their life for the better left me humbled and in awe."
He became interested in physical fitness at age 13
Wai's interest in fitness didn't start in college. He's had an interest in "physical health and conditioning" ever since he was 13 years old. "As a typical teenager I was insecure with my size and strength and decided to incorporate exercise and physical fitness into my life and it has been a large part of my life ever since," he wrote on his website.
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He could change Madix's mind about having kids
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/ArianaMadixDanielWai06122023-75-a46e077c59f94385a05e42de9ee1d490.jpg "Who Is Ariana Madix's Boyfriend? All About Daniel Wai (3)")
Not only did Wai make his Vanderpump Rules debut on season 11, but he also became the topic of a conversation between Madix and costar Lala Kent in one February 2024 episode of the reality show. She admitted that being with Wai had "opened my eyes to a lot of different possibilities" when it came to having kids —something that she hadn't considered for her future before.
"In retrospect, Tom being my partner affected my feelings on having kids a lot more than I thought it did," she said in a confessional. "I feel like with Dan, I've kind of had my eyes open to the fact that there are different types of partners out there who would actually be a real 50/50 partner, or if I can only give 10% that day, he's ready to give 90."
He and Madix enjoy each other's company
Following Wai's appearance on an episode of Vanderpump Rules in April 2024, Madix gave an update on her boyfriend and opened up about their future together. Since they live on opposite sides of the country, Madix said on the after show that they "enjoy each other's company a lot" when they get to be together.
In the episode, the couple discussed next steps in their relationship. When Madix asked Wai his thoughts about moving to Los Angeles, he didn't have the words to reply.
Meanwhile, the Bravo star said she "always liked the idea of being more bicoastal." She said her future is dependent upon "where the work is taking [her]" and then she'll "see what happens from there."
