Meghan Markle backed charity One Young World is being investigated over its salaries.

 

Fat-cat income probe into mother and daughter who run formative years charity that Meghan Markle champions after duo were paid nearly £2million in much less than 5 years.

A charity championed through the Duchess of Sussex is going through an investigation after it emerged the mom and daughter at its helm were paid almost £2 million in much less than 5 years.

In a dramatic move, the Charity Commission launched the probe into One Young World just days after photographs of Meghan and the Duke of Sussex taken at the charity's annual summit in Manchester in September have been published.

One Young World describes itself as a 'global forum' for young leaders and has loved a hovering public profile thanks to the Duchess, who grew to become one of its 'counsellors' in 2014.

Meghan told delegates in Manchester she used to be 'thrilled' Harry used to be capable to be a part of her to 'witness first hand my appreciate for this organisation'.

But The Mail on Sunday can expose that the regulator has intervened amid issues at the eye-watering pay and benefits programs passed to senior bosses at the charity.

There is no advice that Meghan and Harry – who are amongst a string of movie star backers of the charity such as Richard Branson, Bob Geldof and Emma Watson – knew of the pay levels.

One Young World's chief government Kate Robertson used to be awarded a £440,000 pay bundle for the 18 months to June 2021, regardless of the pandemic interrupting its summits, the largest source of its revenue. Her daughter Ella McKay, 30, one of the charity's two managing directors, loved a £194,543 pay and advantages package for the identical period.

Following questions from this newspaper, the Charity Commission this weekend introduced that it had opened a 'regulatory compliance case to have a look at issues about remuneration at One Young World'.

In a statement, a spokesman said: 'All charities must be capable to seem to be donors and volunteers in the eye and say how their selections about pay influence on the cause they pursue or the humans they help.'

The Commission said the opening of a compliance case is no longer a finding of wrongdoing, however is the first step it can take in examining potential wrongdoing.

A spokesman for One Young World stated it used to be working with the Commission 'to answer any questions they may additionally have', adding: 'We are assured that there has been in reality no wrongdoing.'

Founded in 2009 through pinnacle advertising executives Mrs Robertson and David Jones, One Young World says it has created a network of extra than 13,700 younger leaders.

Its annual summits have attracted a host of celebrities. At this year's four-day summit, Meghan gave a speech at some point of the two-hour-long opening ceremony in Manchester's Bridgewater Hall after flying to the UK.

Attendance at One Young World's summits does no longer come cheap: delegates are charged £3,150 for a skip that consists of lunch and dinner. A omit that additionally consists of accommodation expenses £4,210. Those charges – and separate fees for exhibition house – are the charity's primary sources of funding, but revenue plunged after a summit due to be held in Munich was delayed until July 2021 by using the pandemic.

The charity's accounts show that despite it not holding a summit between 2020 and 2021, its top 5 bosses including Mrs Robertson and Mrs McKay were awarded nearly £1.4 million in pay and benefits.

The charity said 84 per cent of the whole pay and benefits had been deferred until the next accounting period, however verified executives will still acquire the full amount.

It said that the salaries of its management crew had been independently audited and accredited by its trustees. Both Kate Robertson and Ella McKay's salaries are set by way of the board independently of any involvement of Mrs Robertson, it added.

Mrs Robertson, 67, one of the charity's 4 trustees, was once appointed chief government in May 2016 on a complete pay package deal of £126,666. The charity ultimate night time admitted that it only realised in 2017 that it wished Charity Commission permission to pay Mrs Robertson because she was once also a trustee.

The regulator granted permission the following year. Accounts show she acquired £1.3million in pay and perks between January 2017 and June 2021.

Leading an corporation that employs just 33 staff, Mrs Robertson's pro-rata remuneration of £293,333 in 2020/21 was once surprisingly higher than some larger UK charities. It was once £60,000 more than the pay package deal loved through the head of Cancer Research UK, which employs 3,873 staff.

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