Ashley Madison regBusiness Insider/Ashley Madison/screenshot
The dating website for adulterous affairs is planning to float in London. Here are all the dirty details

Ashley Madison. Is that some kind of shoe designer?

A sensible guess, but definitely wrong. Ashley Madison is a dating website aimed at people who are already married. The service brands itself as "discreet", and simply picked two popular American girls' names as the company name.

Wait, so they're a dating service for adultery? Isn't that immoral?

The company motto is: "Life is short. Have an affair." The website offers affair guidelines, with advice on how to cover your tracks.

So yes, it's immoral.

In its defence, the chief executive Noel Biderman says that someone wouldn't go to Ashley Madison unless they were already planning on having an affair. The website simply means that they won't cheat with a colleague or close friend. We should see the company as "a safe alternative," he says.

What have Ashley Madison done now?

Nothing to do with broken hearts. Ashley Madison plans to float on the London Stock Exchange this year.

We don't want such depraved companies here. Send them away.

This isn't Singapore. In 2013, Ashley Madison had to abandon launch plans there after they met with staunch opposition. But the Canada-based company decided London was the best place for an IPO because of Europe's relaxed approach towards infidelity.

This is England, not France.

Perhaps the figures will persuade you. Ashley Madison made $115m (£77m) last year and is worth $1bn (£670m). The company aims to raise $200m (£135m) from an initial public offering, which it will use to expand internationally.

Surely there can't be that much demand?

Think again. There are 1.2 million people signed up to Ashley Madison in the UK, which is equivalent to around five per cent of the UK's married population. It currently has 34 million members in 46 countries around the world, including South Africa, Japan and South Korea. Ashley Madison is planning to launch in Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states later this Spring.

Sounds like the world's worst kept secret. How long has it been around for?

Ashley Madison has been helping adulterers unite since 2001.

Ashley Madison

And how does it actually work? I'm asking for a friend.

Users don't pay a subscription to search, but have to pay to send other Ashley Madison members messages or virtual "gifts".

Each profile explains what they're looking for, which can be specific as, "bubble bath for two, gentleness, sensual massage" and far more explicit examples, which we won't mention here. Users also state whether they're looking for a cyber affair, long-term relationship or short-term fling. Around 70 per cent of members are men - no surprise there.

Ashley Madison will make sure nothing incriminating comes up on your credit card bill, and members are free to chat and arrange meetings themselves.

Thanks for that. I'll tell my friend.

You don't have to be so po-faced about it. As Noel Biderman told The Telegraph five years ago: "I can't worry about people thinking I'm a ghoul, because I'm pretty sure that history will treat me differently. It's 2010, people: time to redefine morality."

This article was written by Olivia Goldhill from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.