Prince Harry said, when he and Meghan left the royal family, that he wanted to earn his own money while still making a difference.
In furtherance of that goal, Harry has taken a job as “chief impact officer” at BetterUp, a $1 billion Silicon Valley startup that provides professional coaching, mental-health advice, and “immersive learning.”
Given his own well-publicized struggles with mental health, and his desire to marry service with financial independence, it’s perhaps no surprise that Harry has landed at a company like BetterUp for his first post-royal salaried job. (BetterUp and Prince Harry’s press team would not disclose the level of salary.)
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In a post by Harry on the betterup.com blog, illustrated by a smiley black and white photo of “Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex,” Harry wrote, “I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us. As the Royal Marine Commandos say, ‘It’s a state of mind.’ We all have it in us.”
Harry appears to obliquely reference the tragedy of his mother’s death saying: “What I’ve learned in my own life is the power of transforming pain into purpose.”
Although the new role marks Harry’s first formal position at a private company since he and Meghan stepped away from royal life, the couple have signed multimillion-dollar deals to provide content for Spotify and Netflix.
Harry, who has worked extensively with mental-health charities previously, said in his blog post that he had personally availed himself of BetterUp’s offerings. He wrote, “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. And because we believe in strengthening our own mental fitness, our entire Archewell team also has access to BetterUp coaching.”
As chief impact officer at BetterUp, Prince Harry will advise on a range of topics related to mental health and charitable collaborations.
“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,” Harry told The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the appointment.
“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.”
BetterUp, which was founded in 2013, recently raised $125 million from an array of international investors to fund expansion. That new funding valued BetterUp at $1.7 billion, The Guardian reported.
It says it employs 2,000 coaches and has 300 business clients including Hilton, NASA, Chevron, and Mars.
