A New York private equity exec has come under fire for claiming he stopped dating beautiful women because he found them 'full of themselves' and incapable of carrying a conversation.

Dan Rochkind, 40, is featured in a front page story in Thursday's New York Post, in which he explained why he stopped chasing conventionally attractive partners despite a successful dating history.

The Upper East Sider, now engaged to professional matchmaker Carly Spindel, attracted outraged comments online - although his fiancee claimed on social media that the newspaper 'twisted [his] words'.

Outrage: Private equity exec Dan Rochkind (pictured with his fiancee) has come under fire for claiming he stopped dating beautiful women because he found them 'full of themselves'

Testimony: The 40-year-old is featured in a front page story in Thursday's New York Post

'I could have [anyone] I wanted,' Rochkind told the New York Post. 'I met some nice people, but realistically I went for the hottest girl you could find.'

Back in his thirties, the exec sometimes went on up to three dates a week, with a penchant for blond models in their twenties, according to the newspaper - but got tired of his choice of partners.

'Beautiful women who get a fair amount of attention get full of themselves,' he is quoted as saying. 'Eventually, I was dreading getting dinner with them because they couldn't carry a conversation.'

His dating life took a new turn when he met Spindel in January 2015 and proposed in Central Park in May.

'[She] is a softer beauty, someone you can take home and cuddle with, and she's very elegant,' Rochkind told the Post. 'And she's 5-foot-2, so she can't be a runway model, but I think she's really beautiful and is prettier than anyone I've dated.'

Current situation: The Upper East Sider is now engaged to professional matchmaker Carly Spindel after meeting her in January 2015 and proposing in May last year

Reaction: The Upper East Sider attracted outraged comments online - although his fiancee claimed on social media that the newspaper 'twisted [his] words'

Rochkind's comments prompted outrage on social media, with one person saying: 'If you need to throw up fast, might I suggest this article?'

'I don't believe in heaven or hell but this makes me feel like some people are bad,' one woman added.

Spindel, who posed with Rochkind as part of the feature, defended her fiancee in an Instagram post, claiming his words had been misrepresented.

'Good job @nypost of twisting my fiancés words, making him look like an a*****e (which isn't the case), and making me look beyond unattractive!' she wrote. 'None of what he said is true.'