Meghan Markle has been stretching her financial independence from the royal family by signing multi-million deals with media companies, and she is also investing her money in a start-up company that specializes in vegan superlattes.
A report cites that Meghan made a personal investment in a young New York company called Clevr Blends with CEO Hannah Mendoza. Per a statement sent to Fortune magazine, the Duchess of Sussex said that she is proud to support Mendoza because she's not only a woman running a company but she's also a committed CEO who uses ethical ingredients to create holistic wellness products.
Clevr Blends has a small office in Montecito, where Meghan lives with Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. Its four variants of instant superlattes are $28, which has 14 bags per pack and will only need hot water for a quick, supercharged coffee fix.
Meghan sent a basket of Clevr Blends to her Montecito neighbor Oprah Winfrey, who happily posted the gift on her Instagram for all of her 19 million followers to see. The talk show host confirmed that it was indeed Meghan who sent her the gift with a crown emoji. She also said that the superlattes are now her "new drink of choice for the morning and night."
Winfrey's post promoting Meghan and her start-up investment delivers the golden ticket, according to PR guru Mark Borkowski. The expert said that this free publicity will likely lead to more sales and demand for Clevr Blends since Winfrey is known for carefully choosing what she promotes on her social media.
However, PR expert Gary Farrow believes that while this is a solo project for the Duchess of Sussex, she could not have gotten it because of her royal profile as Prince Harry's wife. Farrow, however, said that Meghan won't connect with the 3.1 million unemployed people in Britain in this pandemic, who won't be able to afford the superlattes.
Some insiders at the Palace have reportedly raised an eyebrow on Winfrey's free publicity after she used the crown emoji, per Daily Mirror. A source said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's agreement with Queen Elizabeth, when they left the royal fold, was that they won't "risk bringing the Crown into disrepute" in aiming for their financial independence.
A spokesperson from Buckingham Palace, however, refused to comment on the reports of Winfrey's endorsement by saying that Meghan is not a working royal. However, an insider said that the Duchess of Sussex's link up with the media mogul was likely not well-advised.
But other business experts said that Meghan's support for Clevr Blends alone could be worth more than the publicity it will generate because of her high profile. PR expert Ronn Torossian said that it would not be surprising if Clevr Brands becomes a "household name" thanks to Meghan.
It will also not be the first endorsement deal for Meghan and Prince Harry. The experts said that start-up investments are the way to go for those who want to expand their wealth portfolio and this move from Meghan makes a lot of sense to her personal brand as someone who imbibes a holistic lifestyle.
