Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has been employed as the chief impact officer of BetterUp, a $1bn (£730m) Silicon Valley firm providing professional coaching, mental health advice, and immersive learning.
BetterUp on its website lists Harry as part of its leadership team, describing him as a “humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist.”
Harry joins the startup weeks after he and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, released their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey that detailed their decision to leave the United Kingdom and step back from senior roles in the British royal family.
The couple, who are living in California, also addressed the strain that royal life had on their mental health.
Prince Harry also said the royal family cut him off financially in the first quarter of 2020, when he and his wife, Meghan planned to step back from the British family.
“I’ve got all my mom left me and without that we would not be able to do this,” Harry said. According to BBC News, Harry and his brother, Prince William, received the bulk of the £13m fortune left by their mother when she died.
Read Also: Prince Harry And Meghan Will Not Return As Working Members Of Royal Family
According to Wallstreet Journal, Harry has now taken up a top executive role at the aforenamed Silicon Valley firm as his first formal position at a private company since he stepped down as a working member of the royal family.
Being a chief impact officer at BetterUp, Harry will help with product strategy decisions, charitable collaborations, and advice on topics related to mental health — having already worked closely with mental health charities.
He was quoted as stating that he hoped to be able to “create impact in people’s lives” by working with the company to provide “proactive coaching” for personal development, increased awareness, and “an all-round better life”.
On his part, Alexi Robichaux, the chief executive of BetterUp, said;
It’s a meaningful and meaty role. He’s synonymous with this approach of mental fitness and really investing in yourself. It was not a hard internal sale.
Robichaux and Harry were said to have met through a mutual friend and discussed the collaboration back in 2020.
However, the nature of Harry’s pay and whether or not he has been handed shares in the business is still unknown.
At BetterUp, Harry is expected to have input into product strategy decisions and charitable contributions, and advocate publicly on topics related to mental health.
The prince expanded on his reasons for joining BetterUp in a company blog post, saying he recognized a “shared passion” for helping people in Robichaux.
Harry stated;
What caught my attention about BetterUp was that the company’s mission to unlock the potential in people everywhere necessitates innovation, impact, and integrity. Their team has been delivering on that work for years.
He also said he had personally benefited from coaching provided by BetterUp, stressing;
I’ve personally found working with a BetterUp coach to be invaluable. I was matched with a truly awesome coach who has given me sound advice and a fresh perspective.
Harry’s new job is not the couple’s first business venture in the U.S. They started their own nonprofit foundation, Archewell, and also signed deals with Spotify and Netflix for content creation through Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions.
