Two more entertainment companies have been added by the Duke and Duchess Sussex to their expanding business empire in Delaware tax haven Delaware.
Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan Markle, 40, who are currently living in their $14 million mansion having stepped back from royal duty last year, are currently setting up a complex network of companies all based in the opaque tax haven state of Delaware.
State filings last week revealed that Meghan’s lawyer and long-time business manager had incorporated 11 companies, a trust, and a company for them since April 2020. This includes a firm apparently created for Harry’s multimillion-dollar memoir deal.
And according to The Telegraph, two further companies were also registered on the same date, including Cloverdale Inc – which bears the same name as the street that the Duchess lived on with her mother in Los Angeles as a child.
Riversoul, the name of Riversoul is not currently understood.
Both companies are set up explicitly in the ‘entertainment’ space, meaning the couple now have seven separate firms in the industry.
These companies all have headquarters at the Beverly Hills office of Richard Genow who has been working with the Duchess over many years.
Andrew Meyer, her business manager, is also listed in the company filings. Andrew Meyer is a highly-connected money expert whose clients include Jon Chu, Anna Kendrick and Adam Driver.
They have now added two new entertainment businesses to their expanding business empire: the Duke (37) and Duchess (41).
This means that the couple has seven companies in the entertainment sector. It could also mark Meghan Markle’s return to showbusiness (pictured here in Suits 2011).
One of the Duke and Duchess’ new businesses is Cloverdale Inc – which bears the same name as the street that the Duchess lived on with her mother in Los Angeles as a child (pictured her childhood home on South Cloverdale Avenue)
After her divorce, Meghan moved in with her mother to a first-floor apartment at S. Cloverdale Ave in Mid-Wilshire.
The garage was originally used as a loft for the main property.
Meyer and Genow also signed two other companies. The Peca Publishing LLC was established in September 2020. Meghan used it to own the rights to her children’s book The bench.
The same day a second company was incorporated, Orinoco Publishing LLC – though it didn’t register its status in California until December 22, 2021.
Meyer and Genow inked two publishing houses among their list of companies. Peca Publishing LLC (the first) was created in September 2020 by Meghan. She used it to own the rights to her children’s book, The Bench. Peca, which is Spanish for freckles, appears to refer to a book Meghan wrote eighth grade called A Face Without Freckles…Is a Night Without Stars
In September 2020 Orinoco Publishing LLC was incorporated– though it didn’t register its status in California until December 22, 2021. Although it’s not clear what Orinoco will be used for by the couple, it seems likely that it was established to protect Harry’s book rights with Penguin Random House. The deal is for Harry’s memoir. It is due out later in the year.
Orinoco isn’t known for what purpose, although it is possible that Orinoco was created to handle Harry’s lucrative book deal with Penguin Random House. The rights are for Harry’s memoir due later this year.
Take care of Sussexes’ businesses
Prince Harry and Meghan markle have an elite team of publicists, lawyers, agents and attorneys that help to create companies, negotiate multimillion-dollar deals, and maintain their public image.
Andrew Meyer, Meghan’s business manager, is famous among Hollywood’s elite. He has worked with clients like Ellen Pompeo and Kathryn Hahn as well as Alexander Skarsgard and Adam Driver.
Andrew Meyer (second left) and Richard Genow(right) were pictured with Kamala’s husband Doug Emhoff (right), and Patricia Wheeler, a fellow lawyer in 2019.
Freemark Financial’s LA-raised partner was one of the 600 wedding guests.
Meyer is a close friend of Meghan’s lawyer Rick Genow. Rick has previously represented Sir Ben Kingsley, Greg Kinnear and was named in the company records for all former royals’ firms.
Genow is a partner at Beverly Hills law firm Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smekinson & Christopher, LLP.
The Hollywood Reporter reported last year that Meyer was a close friend and professional colleague for 15 years. Meyer said Meyer elevates business management to an art. He is attentive to every detail, and really cares about each of his clients.
Christine Schirmer (previous Pinterest communications chief) is the head of public relations. Schirmer was rehired by the Duke and Duchess two months ago, after she stepped down from her Pinterest position in July 2020.
Schirmer is Harry and Meghan’s senior aide. He oversees Sunshine Sachs PR’s representation of them as well as James Holt, their UK publicist.
Holt managed the couple’s UK press relations and was promoted to the Archewell Foundation Executive Director last year.
According to reports, Meghan has dropped Nick Collins as her agent last year. Collins, Gersh Agency’s co-head talent, was Meghan’s agent since Suits. Collins also represents Courtney B. Vance actor Taylor Kinney and Mandy Moore. He is reportedly still consulting for the Duchess, even though he has been relieved of his previous role.
Peca is Spanish for freckle. This may be a reference Meghan’s eighth-grade book A Face Without Freckles…Is a Night Without Stars. A copy currently resides in the Congressional Library.
Harry may have referred to his mom’s favourite song by naming Orinoco Publishing LLC.
Interview for 2017 ITV documentary Diana, Our mother, her Life and Legacy. Prince recalls a time when he was a passenger in mother’s BMW while listening to Enya from the 1980s.
Orinoco Flow was one of her biggest hits.
It includes the repeating refrain of’sailaway’ and even mentions California in one line: ‘From Bali, Cali, far below the Coral Sea.
Orinoco also refers to a South American river that flows through Colombia and Venezuela.
Some Delaware companies owned by the Sussexes were created to protect the trademarks of Archewell’s charity and the associated businesses.
Harry and Meghan created Cobblestone Lane LLC to hold the Archewell logo. However, they filed another trademark application for a second logo with only the letters “AW” on top. This was done under an entirely different Delaware company, IPHW LLC.
Cobblestone Lane LLC was established in Delaware in February 2020. Five days later, it was filed for the Archewell mark.
Although Cobblestone and Archewell are both California-based, no LLC filings were made with the California Secretary Of State.
UpCounsel, a legal website, states that before any company can transact intrastate or interstate business, it must first register with and be qualified by the California Secretary Of State. This is almost two years since the East Coast was established.
On January 2, 2022, the company applied to be registered as a foreign limited- liability company. The application noted it had been incorporated in Delaware on February 27, 2019. It shares an address with the British Consulate General in Los Angeles and is not based at Genow, as are Meghan and Harry’s other businesses.
UpCounsel, a legal website states that before any company can transact intrastate or interstate business within the state it must first register with and be qualified by the California Secretary Of State.
“This basically means your California business needs to be registered if it wants to operate in California.
Questions about why Cobblestone hadn’t filed California documents for nearly two years were not answered by the lawyers of the couple.
Delaware-based IPHW did register with the California Secretary of State on July 16 2021.
Archewell Audio LLC, and Archewell Productions LLC are two companies that have attracted international attention due to their high-profile entertainment agreements with Spotify and Netflix.
However, Meghan’s money men infiltrated Baobab Holdings LLC last February. They wrote in company documents that it was for investments.
Beverly Hills attorney Richard Genow, who is a long-time friend of the Duchess, has incorporated the businesses. Andrew Meyer, her business manager and money expert is listed as an additional company filer.
The companies are in the tax haven of Delaware, despite the couple living and doing business in California. The couple’s Montecito home is shown.
One of the couple’s companies is named for a Japanese term meaning the informal process of quietly laying the foundation for a project
Baobabs are a distinct tree from Australia and Africa.
Genow and Meyer founded two entertainment companies in January 2013: Bridgemount LLC, and Hampshire LLC.
This may refer to Harry and Meghan’s unforgettable holiday in a Hampshire Georgian Georgian estate, which is five-star Georgian 18th-century Georgian. They stayed three nights in this mansion in the last weeks of Meghan’s Spring 2019 pregnancy.
At the time, a friend said to the Sun: “Meghan is just a few weeks away from giving birth. Harry wanted to really treat her.”
Nemawashi Holdings, LLC, was established September 2020 and was only described by Meyer and Genow as a “holding company”. Nemawashi, a Japanese term that refers to the process of silently laying foundations for projects, is an informal Japanese concept.
Baobab trees are native to Australia and Africa.
Another mysterious company, RPV Holdings LLC was established a month before.
Genow revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that Meyer was his friend and colleague for over 15 years.
Meyer is a Certified Public Accountant and the founder of Beverly Hills Entertainment Wealth Management firm Freemark Financial. He lives in Holmby Hills with Stephanie, in a six-bed property measuring 6,000 sq. ft.
Before 2020, Meghan’s financial staff had already made an important move regarding Frim Fram Inc, the company behind The Tig.
According to Delaware business records Frim Fram Inc was officially registered as a newly formed corporation on December 30, 2019.
Meghan wrote a book, A Face Without Freckles…Is A Day Without Stars in which she thanked Thomas her father. It was written in eighth grade.
Harry and Meghan enjoyed a weekend getaway at Heckfield Place Hotel, Hampshire, England just before Archie was birth. Perhaps it was the reason they named Hampshire LLC after their company.
California business records show that Frim Fram Inc California, which was then ‘Merged out’, was incorporated with the Delaware corporation on the following day.
Delaware has a reputation for being a safe haven for companies seeking to maintain extreme corporate secrecy.
Mid-Atlantic residents do not have to reveal their identity. They can use a registered agent for as low as $50.
The company’s financial details are kept secret. The move appeared to show that Meghan planned to keep her and Harry’s business as opaque as possible – and stuck to their plans, incorporating every one of their following companies in the secretive state.
Delaware is home to nearly 65 percent Fortune 500 companies. This makes it the state where more corporations are registered than residents.
Nemawashi Holdings, LLC, which was founded in September 2020, was described as only a holding company’ by Genow and Meyer. Nemawashi refers to a Japanese word that means quietly laying foundations for projects.
Archewell Audio LLC & Archewell Productions LLC have been a major draw for international attention because of their high-profile entertainment contracts with Spotify and Netflix.