Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell empire is back in the spotlight, and this time it’s the numbers that do the talking.
New financial reports for 2024 paint a messy picture behind the glossy rebranding to “Archewell Philanthropies,” with donations plummeting, vague expenses exploding and year-end liabilities ballooning in ways that have left charity watchers visibly perplexed.
Contributions fell sharply from around £3.96m in 2023 to just £1.57m in 2024.
Insiders pointed out that almost the entire year’s haul appears to hinge on a single $2 million donation channeled through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which critics believe is linked to the same mystery donor who quietly transferred £7.5 million to Archewell back in 2021.
Despite the cash loss, the grant payout remained stubbornly steady at around £975,000, with the Sussexes’ pet causes still well-fed.
The biggest chunk went to the “Welcome Project”, spread across a dozen groups, while headline checks included £112,000 to Screen Sanity for online safety, £94,000 to the NAACP and £75,000 to the Hopelab Foundation.
Notably missing this year was Ashley Biden’s wellness project, which had previously benefited from Archewell largesse.
Where things really get spicy is the cost. Staff pay remained high in the eyes of a charity of its size, with top managers pocketing six-figure salaries, even as reports surfaced that staff were being quietly let go during the reshuffle.
By the end of 2024, Archewell’s liabilities had increased by more than £600,000 compared to the previous year.
While the foundation insists everything is above board, watchdogs note the foundation is still clearing the threshold requiring it to file public IRS disclosures.
Prince Harry and Meghan preaching transparency and compassion, Archewell’s latest numbers read less like a fairy tale and more like a financial cliffhanger.
