Meghan Markle reportedly earned paltry $40,000 from Confessions of a Female Founder podcast
Meghan Markle reportedly earned just $40,000 from her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast amid speculation the series will not return to the airwaves.
Markle, 43, launched Confessions of a Female Founder in April as a weekly series in which the ex-working royal chats to high-profile businesswomen.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke to the likes of Bumble's Whitney Wolfe Herd, Cassandra Thurswell of Kitsch and IT Cosmetics' Jamie Kern Lima for the project.
Markle also used the podcast as a platform to interview the heads of companies she has a financial stake in, including Clevr Blends' Hannah Mendoza and Kadi Lee of Highbrow Hippie.
Journalist and 'To Di For' podcast host Kinsey Schofield told Sky News Australia that Markle earned about $40,000 for the Lemonada podcast.
'Meghan's made approximately $40,000 for season one of Confessions of a Female Founder,' Ms Schofield told Sky News host Caroline Di Russo.
'Not exactly Spotify money, and if she's trying to be a billionaire, I think she's going to have to hustle a little harder.'
By comparison, Markle and her husband Prince Harry reportedly pocketed a multi-million dollar payment from Spotify for a doomed partnership that crumbled two years ago.
Reportedly, the Spotify deal collapsed after the Sussexes missed production benchmarks and complaints from inside the streaming giant that the couple were 'f***ing grifters'.
The surprising figure comes after the ex-working royal "wrapped up" the Lemonada series on Tuesday after just eight episodes.
Markle interviewed Spanx founder Sara Blakely and mused about her 'guilt' over her wealth in the "last" episode.
"I think so many women especially, we're taught to not even talk about money, and there's lots of guilt mentality surrounding having a lot,' Markle said.
At the end of the episode, Markle appeared to call time on the series and thanked her listeners for their support.
"Well, that's a wrap," Markle said.
"Thanks for your support as you heard my story, little bits of it.'
The announcement coincided with a gushing new feature on the Duchess of Sussex published by business outlet Fast Company.
'There's interest in doing a second season of Confessions of a Female Founder, and many female founders have approached her to be a guest on the series,' the article said.
'But Meghan is now involved in such a wide range of projects, she's sure to find some way to tell her story.'
In a twist, Markle made a major U-turn on Friday and opted to announce a surprise 'bonus' episode of the series featuring an unknown 'matriarch'.
Instead of profiling another businesswoman, Markle returned to her showbiz routes by interviewing Tina Knowles Lawson – the mother of popstar Beyonce.
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