Meghan Markle, Prince Harry announce partnership with sustainable finance firm

In their latest move as they seek financial independence, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced a major corporate partnership.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced their latest corporate partnership with a major ethical finance firm co-founded by two Australians.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they have become “impact partners” for Ethic, a New York investment firm which advises its clients how to invest their money with sustainability in mind.

The duo – who also personally invested with the fund earlier this year – said they hoped their new deal with Ethic, which manages more than $1.3 billion of assets, would inspire young people to invest their money more wisely.

In an exclusive interview with The New York Times, Meghan said: “From the world I come from, you don’t talk about investing, right? You don’t have the luxury to invest. That sounds so fancy.

“My husband has been saying for years, ‘Gosh, don’t you wish there was a place where, if your values were aligned like this, you could put your money to that same sort of thing?’”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they have become ‘impact partners’ for ethical firm, Ethic. Picture: John Lamparski/Getty Images/AFP

In a joint statement posted to their Archewell website, Meghan and Harry said, “When we invest in each other we change the world”.

They added: “Be it through the investment of time (as with mentoring), investment in community (as with volunteering), or the investment of funds (for those who have the means to), our choices – of how and where we put our energy – define us as a global community.

“We believe it’s time for more people to have a seat at the table when decisions are made that impact everyone. We want to rethink the nature of investing to help solve the global issues we all face.”

Ethic said in a statement said that their values perfectly aligned with the royals.

“Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, share a lot of values with us, and we suspect, with many of you as well,” a statement said.

“They’re deeply committed to helping address the defining issues of our time – such as climate, gender equity, health, racial justice, human rights, and strengthening democracy – and understand that these issues are inherently interconnected.

“Now they want to shine a light on how we can all impact the causes that affect our communities, bring transparency into how the corporate world sets the tone and shapes outcomes for everyday families, and believe that more people should have a seat at the table when it comes to making progress.”

Ethic was founded by Australians Johny Mair and Doug Scott in 2015.

Australian Johny Mair co-founded the company, Ethic. Picture: Supplied

Co-founder Doug Scott also hails from Australia. Picture: Supplied

It’s the latest in a string of major deals the Duke and Duchess have signed since stepping back as senior royals in early 2020, as they sought to gain financial independence in the US.

They signed a rumoured $190 million deal with Netflix and Spotify last year to produce exclusive content for their platforms.

Their first production is Harry’s passion project, Heart of Invictus, which will go behind the scenes during athletes’ preparation for the Invictus Games, while Meghan is working on an animated series with the working title ‘Pearl’.