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Is Meghan Markle Really a ‘Self-Made’ Millionaire?

Published October 16, 2020 11:15 AM
Aubrey Hansen
Published October 16, 2020 11:15 AM
  • We’ve seen in said many times that Meghan Markle is a self-made millionaire.
  • But is she really? And why would the royal family see that as a problem?
  • In truth, Meghan is no different from many who’ve married into royalty.

It seems we can add biographer and Netflix consultant Robert Lacey to the ever-growing list of people who considers the fact that Meghan Markle was a “self-made” millionaire to be a problem for the royal family.

Quite why the number of zeros on Meghan’s bank statement would make her a “massive problem” for a family where money is pretty much the norm is a mystery, but this is what Lacey claims.

What exactly did Robert Lacey say about Meghan Markle?

Speaking to Good Morning Britain, Lacey commented: 

Meghan was a massive problem for the Royal Family. It’s easy to be wise after the event. Here’s a self-made woman. A self-made millionairess, the only one in the Royal Family who’s made her own money, created her own celebrity and not inherited it.

Let’s unpack some of what Robert is claiming here, shall we?

First of all, while Meghan Markle certainly isn’t from money as many who marry into the royal family are, I’m not all that sure she’s “self-made” either.

If she were a legit big-deal actress, then fair enough. But she isn’t.

We’re not talking Halle Berry here, folks. It’s not as if Meghan Markle was always destined to become a massive star based on her acting ability.

No, Meghan had to get creative when it came to getting ahead in life.

And by creative, I mean source people who she could bring into her life that could help her get to where she wanted to be.

Is Meghan all that different from, say, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi?

The answer, in my opinion, is no, she isn’t.

Sure, Edoardo, who married Princess Beatrice earlier this year, isn’t exactly from a low-income family. He comes from an Italian noble family, which has helped him pursue his career in property development.

People in his life helped him get to where he is today.

Edoardo is as “self-made” as Meghan is, in my opinion. | Source: Twitter 

Meghan Markle is much the same. Suppose she hadn’t married Trevor Engelson, a film producer and talent manager. Would she have made the necessary connections to land her spots on shows like CSI before eventually finding her way onto Suits?

What we do know is that before she met Trevor, Meghan had managed to secure a small role in General Hospital for an episode and another in Century City. That was it by that point.

In fact, Meghan herself admitted in 2015  that she “couldn’t book a job” earlier in her career for several reasons.

Even the Meghan Markle PR brochure masquerading as a book in Finding Freedom admits that Trevor was “the dominant character” on whom Meghan relied upon for introductions and connections in the entertainment industry. 

After Trevor’s connections were no longer needed, he was thrown aside. Next up was the celebrity chef to the stars, Cory Vitiello.

That Cory could and did open the doors to the upper echelons of influential society,  where the real money mingled and partied, is undeniable.

Vitiello was friends with a certain Markus Anderson, who proved influential in Meghan’s life moving forward.

After walking through the golden doors that Vitiello opened for Meghan Markle, she eventually met Prince Harry.

Many onlookers don’t buy the official line about Meghan’s success. | Source: Twitter 

Meghan Markle may be a millionaire, but she’s no more “self-made” than others who have married into royalty

So no, there isn’t all that much difference between Meghan Markle and the likes of Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

Not that I’m saying there’s anything inherently wrong with how Meghan managed to negotiate her way to the golden table. In much the same way as I’m not disregarding Edoardo’s position in when it comes to the property business.

Both individuals had to put in the work and actually get the job done. Meghan may have been introduced to key figures in the entertainment industry, but she had to win the roles. And Edoardo may have had the connections, but if he wasn’t good at his job, he’d have failed regardless.

But let’s not pretend that Meghan Markle is some self-made nobody who clawed her way from the bottom to the very top based entirely on hard work and raw talent.

If Edoardo tried to pretend that he’s some self-made property millionaire who started from the bottom and succeeded against the odds, he’d get laughed out of the building.

He had help getting to where he is today.

As did Meghan Markle.


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.