Stereotyping

So here's my broad generalization. Men that are single (have never been married) at age 40 are economic underachievers. Women that are single at 40 are economic overachievers. A generalization, and I can point to a few exceptions, but, would you really say this isn't generally true?...

If we assume I'm right on this one, then the question is why it's so. Well, I can speculate... For the men - a) they never had the pressure of providing for families, and hence had less motivation to earn more money, or b) they were never interested in making money and hence avoided getting married, or c) their lower economic motivation and achievement made them less attractive to women... For the women - d) their self sufficiency made them less interested in a mate and less willing to compromise in their choice of mates, or e) their economic achievements made them less attractive to potential mates, or f) women who do get married have less motivation to make money than their single counterparts...

But first let's answer an easier question. What came first, the chicken or the egg?