Meghan & Harry risk making Brand Sussex ‘tacky’ after JP Morgan gig that could have earned them £775k, expert warns
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry could have raked in £775,000 for their first Megxit appearance, but experts say this could damage “Brand Sussex”. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew to Miami on Thursday to attend a star-studded JP Morgan Summit, where Harry was a keynote speaker. PR guru Mark Borkowski said to The Mail […]
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry could have raked in £775,000 for their first Megxit appearance, but experts say this could damage “Brand Sussex”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew to Miami on Thursday to attend a star-studded JP Morgan Summit, where Harry was a keynote speaker.
PR guru Mark Borkowski said to The Mail on Sunday that there is a danger of lucrative appearances like this being perceived as “tacky”.
He said: “This shows how difficult it is going to be. They’ve got to make a lot of money and they are going to slip up on the way.
“The worry is how many of these type of gigs are there going to be? How often can Harry play the card about his mental health?
“For JP Morgan, it’s an extraordinary ‘get’. They clearly have the money to afford them, but Harry and Meghan need to avoid being perceived as tacky.”
In his speech, Harry, 35, told US bankers he had been in therapy for seven years to cope with the loss of his mum Princess Diana.
Some critics took to social media to claim that the duke is “cashing in” on his mother’s memory.
One Twitter user said: “I’m literally disgusted that Harry is now dragging up Diana’s death to earn money.
“I really didn’t think he would stoop that low. This is disgusting on a whole different level. Shameful. Their titles must be stripped completely.”
The couple reportedly left their secluded mansion in Vancouver to fly to the swanky event in Florida on JP Morgan’s Gulfstream jet.
They are said to have spent the night at the £12million home of tennis legend Serena Williams, who is a close friend of Meghan’s.
Sources at the event in the grounds of the five-star 1 Hotel in Miami’s South Beach revealed how Meghan, 38, and Harry had a hefty security entourage in tow.
Other A-list guests included Jennifer Lopez and fiance Alex Rodriguez, Tony Blair and basketball legend Magic Johnson, along with numerous CEOs.
Ronn Torossian, CEO of New York-based firm 5W Public Relations claimed the couple could have netted between £387,000 and £775,000 – which equates to $1 million – for the gig.
He told the Mail: “Harry and Meghan will be the highest-paid speakers that exist on the corporate market.
“”I would not be shocked if they earned in excess of $1million (£775,000). Over the year their earning power could be unlimited.”
Until now, the Sussexes have been “prohibited from earning any income in any form”.
But experts think they will now join the world’s top speakers by demanding hundreds of thousands of pounds for a single address at private events.
The Miami summit was their first public appearance as a couple since quitting as senior royals last month.
Meghan introduced her husband at Thursday’s event, where Harry discussed Megxit and the impact of losing Diana in a car crash in 1997.
Most read in Fabulous
We revealed how Meghan and Harry plan to do “great philanthropic work” after leaving the Royal Family, according to their pal David Furnish.
We shared how Queen calls Meghan Markle and Prince Harry back from glamorous life in Canada for Commonwealth Service.