Meghan Markle Hires Bill Gates Exec to Run Her Business Empire

Meghan Markle is doubling down on her brand—and she’s bringing in someone from the Bill Gates playbook to do it.

The Duchess of Sussex, who has spent the past year launching a whirlwind of personal projects, has officially hired her first chief of staff: Sarah Fosmo, a former top executive assistant in Bill Gates’ inner circle. Fosmo previously served as deputy director of executive administration at the Gates Foundation until late 2024. Now, she’ll oversee what Markle’s allies are calling a “period of dynamic growth.” But not everyone is applauding the move.

From Big Tech to Hollywood Royalty

According to Fosmo’s own résumé, she specializes in “ultra-high-net-worth individuals,” managing “sensitive, high-stakes operations” and confidential dealings. That description has some critics raising eyebrows—especially given Meghan and Prince Harry’s past controversies around transparency and staff turnover.

“It’s telling that Meghan’s hiring from the Gates orbit,” said one former royal insider who requested anonymity. “It’s another sign she’s modeling herself after elite power players, not public servants.”

Fosmo is stepping in as Meghan juggles a busy business portfolio: her “As Ever” lifestyle brand, the Netflix docuseries With Love, Meghan, and a podcast titled Confessions of a Female Founder. All were launched within the last six months in what some observers see as an aggressive rebrand from duchess to mogul.

Archewell Chaos and High Turnover

This hire also comes after the sudden departure of Josh Kettler, the couple’s former chief of staff at Archewell. Kettler lasted just three months before abruptly resigning last August.

“There were aspects of the job he wasn’t comfortable with,” one insider told the Daily Mail at the time. Another source tried to spin the exit as “mutual,” claiming Kettler simply wasn’t the “right fit.”

Meghan’s longtime operations chief, Lianne Cashin, will remain in her role at Archewell, but Prince Harry still doesn’t have a chief of staff of his own—raising fresh questions about who’s really steering the Sussex ship.

Criticism from the Right: ‘Another Elitist Power Grab’

For many American conservatives, the hiring of a Gates-affiliated executive only confirms long-held suspicions about Meghan’s ambitions.

“She’s not interested in service, tradition, or family,” said media commentator Jenna Wallace on American Viewpoint. “This is a woman chasing power and prestige at all costs. First Oprah, then Netflix, now Bill Gates’ people? She’s not building a brand—she’s building a fortress.”

While a spokesperson for the Sussexes declined to comment on the new appointment, the message from Team Meghan seems clear: the Duchess is done playing by royal rules—and she’s recruiting Silicon Valley elites to make sure her business ambitions are bulletproof.

What’s Next for the Sussex Brand?

With multiple platforms, products, and a growing staff behind her, Meghan’s next move is likely to cement her status in American pop culture—perhaps even politics, if rumors persist.

But as she surrounds herself with big-money strategists and corporate veterans, critics say she’s drifting further from the values she once claimed to champion.

“She says it’s about service,” one former palace aide noted. “But from where we’re standing, it looks a lot more like self-service.”