Prince Harry gets a new job as chief impact officer of BetterUp Inc, a US mental health coaching company
The sixth in line to the throne, who complained his father cut him off financially, lands a gig with a Silicon Valley startup.
Prince Harry has a job.
The sixth in line to the throne, who complained that his father cut him off financially after leaving royal duties for a California lifestyle, is to be a “chief impact officer’’ of a Silicon Valley startup.
Harry, 36, said he is joining BetterUp Inc, a United States mental health coaching company which he has been a client of for several months “to help create impact in people’s lives” and help people become the “best version of ourselves’’.
He said in a statement: “Proactive coaching provides endless possibilities for personal development, increased awareness and an all-round better life.”
BetterUp, founded by Alexi Robichaux and Eduardo Medina in 2013, says on its website that it has raised a total of $300 million in venture capital, including a recent round of $145m and claims to be valued at more than $1.7bn. It has not reported any corporate results.
Key investors in the firm include the United Arab Emirates wealth fund Mubadala Capital, the snowboarder Shaun White and NBA basketball Pau Gasol as well as venture capitalists ICONIQ Growth, and Lightspeed Venture.
Mr Robichaux said Harry’s role was “meaningful and meaty’’, but Harry won’t manage employees. However he will take part in meetings and attend special company events. It is unclear how much Harry will be paid.
”He’s (Harry’s) synonymous with this approach of mental fitness and really investing in yourself. It was not a hard internal sale. He will obviously have the whole organisation sprinting to help him,” Mr Robichaux said.
BetterUp uses an app to link people with personal coaches for counselling and mentoring.
Harry said he has used the app and his mentor was “awesome’’.
Harry said: “This is about acknowledging that it isn’t so much what is wrong with us, but more about what has happened to us over the course of life.
“Often because of societal barriers, financial difficulty or stigma, too many people aren’t able to focus on their mental health until they’re forced to. I want us to move away from the idea that you have to feel broken before reaching out for help.”
Harry has obtained significant board experience, being mentored by some of Britain’s leading business people over the past few years as he developed the Invictus Games, which provides international competition for injured military personnel.
He also has combat experience, having served in Afghanistan on two tours.
But the news of Harry’s job comes as the Archewell foundation he set up with his wife, Meghan Markle, undergoes senior leadership change.
The foundation chief executive and the Sussex’s chief of staff, Catherine St-Laurent left the organisation this week, less than a year in the job, to transition to being an advisor, replaced by the Sussex’s UK spokesperson, James Holt.
The Hollywood producer Ben Browning will look after the creative content of the Sussexes lucrative Spotify and Netflix deals, while Hillary Clinton’s former 2016 presidential campaign advisor, Genevieve Roth, has been also employed by the couple through her social impact company, Invisible Hand.
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