Meghan Markle reportedly has a net worth of
around $5 million.
Although Markle is often credited as a former
actress, that's not the only way she made
her fortune.
Here are the deets on how the Duchess of Sussex
amassed her wealth.
Long before she was royalty, Meghan Markle's
family received a huge financial boost that
reportedly helped put her on the path she's
on today.
Her now-estranged father, Thomas, won $750,000
in the lottery when she was nine years old.
Her half brother, Tom, told the Daily Mail
in 2017,
"That money allowed Meg to go to the best
schools and get the best training."
And before Markle's acting career took off,
she had her hands in the gig economy, quite
literally, thanks in part to that windfall.
In an interview with Esquire, Meghan explained
her longtime knack for cursive handwriting
after taking classes in Catholic school.
"Meghan took pen in hand and wrote a letter
to Proctor and Gamble.
And just look at that penmanship."
She told Esquire,
"What it evolved into was my pseudo-waitressing
job when I was auditioning.
I didn't wait tables.
I did calligraphy for the invitations for,
like, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding."
Meghan was also hired to do hand-lettering
for Dolce & Gabbana's celebrity correspondence.
"Dolce & Gabbana.
They just get it!"
Meghan told the magazine,
"I would sit there with a little white tube
sock on my hand so no hand oils got on the
card, trying to pay my bills while auditioning."
While calligraphy isn't your average job,
Meghan said it can be, quote, "super lucrative."
It's hard to picture now, but Meghan Markle
was once a Deal or No Deal model.
After interning for the United States Embassy
in Argentina, Meghan appeared on the popular
American game show from 2006 to 2007.
Meghan explained to Esquire why she took the
job of "briefcase girl," saying,
"I would put that in the category of things
I was doing while I was auditioning to try
to make ends meet."
Meghan also divulged that she was, for a time,
quote, "the ill-fated number 26", the briefcase
contestants would never choose for some unknown
reason.
She recalled lots of standing around in high
heels just wishing her name would be called
so she could go sit down.
Meghan likely didn't pull in too much dough
with this job, but hey, it kept her afloat.
Between Meghan Markle's very first acting
gig as a nurse on General Hospital in 2002
to her first speaking role in a major feature
film in 2010, Meghan starred in 11 different
television shows.
Now, how's that for versatility?
The War at Home, CSI: New York, and Fringe
were just some of the series in which the
up-and-coming actress landed roles.
Although Meghan didn't reveal how much she
was paid for her two-day stint on Fringe,
Deadline explained that recurring actors,
aside from special "Guest Stars", can be hired
for as little as $900 a day.
Every bit counts, though, right?
After acting in quite a few bit parts, Meghan
Markle finally started securing more major
roles.
In 2010, Meghan starred in The Candidate,
a short thriller, in which she's reported
to have earned around $153,000.
In that same year, Meghan reportedly earned
a higher grossing part in Remember Me, a mainstream
film starring Robert Pattinson.
Meghan reportedly received $187,000 for her
efforts.
Come 2011, Meghan starred in the TV movie
The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down,
which reportedly earned her around $50,000.
Meghan continued to pull in more roles, including
a supporting gig in the rom-com Random Encounters.
"So, who's the victim?"
"A guy I met online."
In 2014, she began working with the Hallmark
Channel, starring in When Sparks Fly.
Meghan teamed up with the network again some
two years later to star in Dater's Handbook.
While Meghan Markle was busy playing the lead
in television movies and making cameos in
films like Horrible Bosses, she was also starring
in the TV series Suits, which ended up making
her a household name.
Due to Harry and Meghan's engagement and eventual
marriage, Meghan made the difficult decision
to part ways with the show after seven long
years.
Meghan said in an interview with the BBC,
"Once we hit the 100 episode marker, I thought,
'You know what?
I have ticked this box.'
And I feel really proud of the work I've done
there and now it's time to...work as a team
with [Harry]."
Of course, that meant Meghan was also reportedly
leaving behind a whopping $50,000 per episode.
Although acting was definitely a main source
of Meghan Markle's income throughout most
of her adult life, fashion was also her bread
and butter.
In 2016, Meghan became a guest designer for
Reitmans, Canada's largest women's apparel
retailer.
Some 18 months later, Women's Wear Daily reported
that the Meghan Markle collection was sold
out online and in select stores.
Meghan reportedly received around $80,000
in sponsorships and endorsements.
As a brand ambassador, her income from Reitmans
may have made up part of this figure.
Before Markle deleted her personal social
media accounts, she was somewhat of a social
media influencer.
After reviewing the now-extinct content of
Meghan's Instagram account, Inc. reported
that Meghan often promoted her friends' brands.
When Serena Williams was launching her fall
fashion line, for example, Meghan created
some hype with Instagram posts.
Meghan also followed Instagram's rules, making
sure to use the proper hashtags so her nearly
3 million followers knew they were seeing
sponsored content.
Meghan likely earned thousands from her Instagram
endorsements and sponsorships alone.
Meghan Markle had already reportedly become
a multi-millionaire some time before becoming
the Duchess of Sussex.
And, as you could probably guess, her net
worth didn't exactly decrease upon entering
into the royal family and, you know, marrying
an actual prince.
When Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana,
died, her will included a provision not only
for her sons William and Harry but for their
future wives as well.
Plus, through her marriage to Harry, Meghan
was also entitled to receive an income through
two revenue streams: the Sovereign Grant and
the Duchy of Cornwall.
According to a financial report published
by the Duchy, the estate experienced a "distributable
surplus" to the tune of $28 million between
March 2017 and March 2018.
The royal family doesn't detail how these
funds are divvied up, but, according to CNBC's
Make It, Prince Harry, and likewise Meghan,
are, quote, "reported to receive [about $6.5
million] a year from the estate."
In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
issued a statement announcing their decision
to "step back as 'senior members' of the royal
family."
Now, there are a great number of things Harry
and Meghan can't do once they step down from
their positions, but one in particular is
a huge deal, not to mention unprecedented.
Citing plans to become financially independent,
Harry and Meghan's site revealed the couple's
desire to cut themselves off from the Sovereign
Grant.
It's not known if they will also give up their
income from the Duchy of Cornwall, but, even
if they do, they'll be able to more than make
up for any lost revenue.
According to data from influencer marketing
platform Klear, Meghan and her hubby could
earn over $110 million from Instagram sponsored
posts.
David Haigh, CEO of the brand valuation firm
Brand Finance, also told the publication that
the couple may pursue a movie or book deal,
which could lead to them earning tens of millions
of dollars.
And, as the publication reported, Harry and
Meghan have already trademarked "Sussex Royal,"
which could point to future capitalization
on their brand.
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