How Meghan Markle Really Makes Her Money: Tom Bower Exposes the Financial Truth Behind Her Billionaire Lifestyle

Meghan Markle has been the subject of relentless scrutiny since her entry into the British royal family. From her acting career to her highly publicized marriage with Prince Harry, her financial status has been widely debated. Many have questioned how she maintains such a lavish lifestyle, particularly after losing several business deals and public funding following her and Harry’s departure from royal duties. Now, investigative biographer Tom Bower, renowned for his in-depth reporting on high-profile individuals, has released startling revelations about Meghan’s finances. His book Revenge delves deep into how Meghan Markle truly funds her billionaire lifestyle.

The Mystery of Meghan’s Wealth

It’s no secret that Meghan Markle leads a luxurious lifestyle—vacations in private jets, multimillion-dollar homes, and a wardrobe worth thousands of dollars. But how does she afford it all? Public income sources, including her acting career, brand deals, and the royal funding she once received, don’t seem to align with the lifestyle she maintains. While her acting career on Suits and some other small ventures brought in solid money, they hardly account for the sheer wealth Meghan enjoys today.

Tom Bower’s research suggests that Meghan’s financial reality is far more complex and less transparent than many people realize. In Revenge, Bower lays out a theory that Meghan’s wealth does not come from traditional income streams like acting contracts or business endeavors. Instead, he suggests that her financial stability stems from something less tangible but incredibly powerful—her network.

The Early Years: A Modest Beginning

Meghan Markle’s journey to wealth began modestly. Before marrying into the royal family, she was known for her role as Rachel Zane on the legal drama Suits. When she joined the show in 2011, she was earning about $50,000 per episode, a significant sum, but not enough to fund the kind of luxury lifestyle she would later become accustomed to. With approximately 16 episodes per season, Meghan’s gross income from the show was about $800,000 per year at its peak.

Aside from acting, Meghan also ventured into writing and brand endorsements. She launched The TIG, a blog centered on wellness, food, travel, and lifestyle. However, The TIG never generated millions of dollars, and it’s unclear how much income it brought in. When all combined, Meghan’s total income from these sources likely didn’t exceed $1 million annually, which begs the question—how did she afford such lavish tastes?

The Soho House Years and Network-Based Support

Bower suggests that the answer lies in Meghan’s network, rather than her documented income. Meghan’s time at Soho House, an exclusive private members’ club, is particularly significant in this context. Soho House is not just a social club but a powerful networking hub where Meghan had access to financiers, heirs, and investors whose wealth was more discreet than publicly visible. Bower argues that Meghan learned early on that wealth doesn’t always move through salaries or visible assets—it often comes from free travel, invitations to exclusive events, and access to luxury experiences that are not always reflected in financial statements.

Meghan’s relationship with these elite circles, combined with her Hollywood fame, royal status, and activism, allowed her to maintain a lifestyle that didn’t require a steady paycheck. It was about maintaining her relevance in these influential circles, which in turn kept the doors open for her to live in style.

The Royal Marriage: A Temporary Financial Upgrade

When Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018, it was assumed that she had married into a life of unlimited wealth and privilege. While Harry’s inheritance from Princess Diana’s estate provided him with a substantial fortune, it was largely tied up in trust funds, with no access to royal estates, jewels, or properties. The royal family’s finances are tightly controlled by the Crown, and Harry and Meghan did not have the freedom to tap into the vast wealth of the monarchy as they pleased.

However, Meghan’s financial situation took an unexpected turn when the couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020. The move, often referred to as Megxit, saw the couple lose access to public funding, including royal security, which can cost between $3 to $5 million annually for high-profile individuals. Additionally, their Montecito home, purchased in 2020 for $14.65 million, came with hefty annual costs, including property taxes exceeding $150,000, maintenance, landscaping, and staff salaries.

Despite the loss of royal funding, there was no noticeable reduction in their extravagant lifestyle. This raised eyebrows and led to speculation about how they could afford such expenses. In his book, Bower stresses that Meghan’s financial stability seemed unaffected by the collapse of some of their high-profile contracts, including their deals with Netflix and Spotify.

The Netflix and Spotify Deals: Not As Lucrative As They Seem

In 2020, Meghan and Harry signed major deals with Netflix and Spotify, reportedly worth up to $100 million and $30 million, respectively. However, Bower points out that these deals were not guaranteed cash. The payments were milestone-based, dependent on content delivery, and were subject to numerous stipulations. Netflix, for example, had not seen many successful projects materialize under their contract, and Spotify terminated their deal in 2023 after just one season of their podcast.

When these revenue streams slowed or collapsed, there was no visible downsizing. Meghan continued to travel in luxury, maintain a large staff, and live in a multimillion-dollar home. According to Bower, this indicates that Meghan’s wealth is not tied to the traditional contracts and endorsements many assume. Instead, it’s rooted in an intricate network of financial support that is not always visible to the public.

The Hidden World of Network-Based Support

Bower suggests that Meghan’s wealth is not in her bank accounts or contracts but in the relationships she has built throughout her career. These connections offer indirect financial benefits—free travel, luxury accommodations, exclusive invitations, and ongoing support from wealthy individuals and organizations that are not publicly disclosed.

Meghan’s strategy has always been to stay relevant in these influential circles. Her media projects, including her podcast, documentaries, and public speaking engagements, have been less about making money and more about maintaining her visibility in elite spaces. By staying in the public eye, Meghan ensures that her access to financial support remains uninterrupted.

This network-based system of support has been in place long before Meghan married Prince Harry, and it has only been strengthened by her royal connection. While Meghan’s projects often focus on being seen rather than making money, her ability to stay relevant has helped her maintain her luxurious lifestyle without needing to rely on traditional income sources.

The Financial System That Protects Meghan’s Lifestyle

Meghan Markle’s financial situation is a masterclass in leveraging connections rather than traditional income. She has learned to navigate the world of elite, discreet financial networks, where wealth is not always visible but is nonetheless powerful. Through her acting career, her marriage to Harry, and her status as a public figure, Meghan has built a system of financial support that allows her to live a lifestyle far beyond what her known earnings could justify.

Bower’s analysis shows that Meghan is not secretly rich in the traditional sense. Instead, her wealth comes from her ability to access financial support through relationships, rather than through earned income. This support structure, while discreet and often unacknowledged, has allowed Meghan to maintain a billionaire-style lifestyle, despite her actual income being far less than what one would expect to fund such extravagance.

Conclusion: A Lifestyle Sustained by Connections

In the end, Tom Bower’s revelations about Meghan Markle’s finances provide a new perspective on her wealth. While it may seem that Meghan’s lifestyle is funded by multimillion-dollar contracts and lucrative brand deals, the reality is far more complex. Her wealth lies not in cash, but in the network she has cultivated over the years—connections that provide her with everything she needs to maintain a luxurious life without ever having to worry about financial instability.

Meghan’s ability to navigate elite circles and stay relevant in the public eye has ensured that her financial stability remains intact, even when her traditional income streams slow down. As Bower’s book reveals, Meghan Markle’s financial reality is not one of billionaire wealth earned through hard work, but rather one of strategic networking and maintaining visibility in influential circles. Her lifestyle, though luxurious, is funded by relationships rather than a bank account, and that is the financial truth behind Meghan Markle’s billionaire-style life.