I just saw yet another sensationalist headline about Meghan Markle’s supposed “plan to become a BILLIONAIRE” with claims about private jets and extravagant lifestyles. The comments section, predictably, was a cesspool of judgment and speculation. I have to say – this kind of reporting isn’t just biased; it’s completely unhinged.

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Let’s take a step back and look at what’s actually happening. Meghan, like any other entrepreneur and public figure, is building businesses based on her interests and expertise. She recently launched As Ever, which has already gained a substantial following. Her lifestyle brand offers jams, spreads, and home goods that reflect her California aesthetic and values. She’s also secured a second season for her cooking show, which demonstrates there’s audience demand for her content.

The Double Standard Is Glaring

What’s fascinating to me is how differently we talk about ambition when it comes to different people. When male entrepreneurs launch businesses and talk about scaling them, they’re “visionaries.” When Meghan does it, suddenly she’s “grasping” or has inappropriate ambitions.

Let’s be clear: Meghan has every right to build businesses and create wealth. She’s leveraging her platform, just as countless other celebrities and public figures do. Martha Stewart built a billion-dollar empire from lifestyle content. Gwyneth Paltrow created Goop. Rihanna became a billionaire largely through Fenty Beauty. Why is it suddenly problematic when Meghan pursues similar business ventures?

A Legitimate Path to Success

The tabloid narrative suggests there’s something nefarious about Meghan’s business ambitions, but let’s look at the facts:

1. She has global name recognition – While controversial in some circles, Meghan has worldwide name recognition that most entrepreneurs would pay millions to achieve.
2. She’s built expertise in lifestyle content – From her former blog “The Tig” to her current ventures, Meghan has years of experience in the lifestyle space.
3. She’s demonstrating product-market fit – The initial response to American Riviera Orchard suggests there’s strong interest in her products.
4. She has access to top business minds – Through her connections, Meghan likely has access to advisors and investors who can help scale her businesses properly.

Is becoming a billionaire possible?

With the right execution and market conditions, absolutely.

Is that somehow wrong or inappropriate?

Absolutely not.

The Real Issue: Our Discomfort with Women’s Ambition

What these headlines really reveal is our collective discomfort with women—particularly women of color—who openly pursue success and wealth. The subtext is always that she should be “grateful” for what she has and not seek more.

This narrative becomes even more twisted when publications suggest her business ventures are somehow a slight against the royal family. As if building her own income streams is an act of revenge rather than a practical response to finding herself outside the institution that previously supported her.

Moving the Conversation Forward

Instead of breathless speculation about Meghan’s motives, what if we actually discussed:

• The challenges and opportunities of celebrity-founded businesses
• How public figures can transition between different phases of their careers
• The specific products and services she’s offering and their market positioning

There’s plenty of legitimate business analysis that could be done here. Instead, we get recycled narratives about “billionaire ambitions” and supposed rivalries.

The Bottom Line

Meghan is doing what many smart, ambitious people do—building businesses around her interests and expertise. The path to significant wealth through these ventures exists, just as it does for any entrepreneur with her level of platform and connections.

The unhinged quality of the reporting around her speaks more to our biases than to her actions. Perhaps it’s time we examined why certain ambitions seem appropriate for some people but scandalous for others.

Whatever you think of Meghan personally, she deserves the same opportunity as anyone else to build businesses without constant character assassination. Let’s judge her ventures on their products, their ethics, and their execution—not on recycled tabloid narratives about her supposed greed or ambition.

After all, isn’t building something of your own exactly what we claim to admire in the entrepreneurial spirit?