Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may be on their way to become the world’s highest-paid couple after cashing in on quitting Royal family for billions.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are to follow a new ‘financially independent’ lifestyle after revealing they were renouncing their HRH titles and access to public funds, as well as paying back £2.4 million spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage.

According to Jonathan Shalit OBE of LBC, the couple is poised to make a fortune, with Meghan potentially earning over a billion dollars if she establishes a globally recognized “wellness” brand.

On January 12, David Haigh, the CEO of Brand Finance, a London-based independent brand assessment consultant, told WWD’s Rosemary Feitelberg that he would be surprised if Harry and Meghan couldn’t transform their celebrity into a billion-dollar brand. He also cited Kylie Jenner’s billion-dollar beauty empire as a model for the royal couple to follow.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to create an empire, from book deals and speaking engagements to branded merchandise.

When it comes to book deals and speaking engagements, royal commentator and author Kristen Meinzer told Business Insider’s Taylor Nicole Rogers that the royal couple has “great earning potential” She contrasted their fame to Barack and Michelle Obama’s, estimating that the amount of their book deals would be similar to the Obamas’ $60 million advance for their memoirs in 2017.

They recently surprised us by revealing a $100 million podcast contract with Spotify, adding to their already impressive list of projects, which includes a $150 million Netflix deal, lucrative voiceover work for Meghan, corporate endorsements, and acquisitions in celeb-endorsed luxury products. Not bad for a couple who simply desired a more peaceful and private life.

The announcement of their new Spotify channel, Archewell Audio, sparked outrage, particularly after they released a playful trailer for their “holiday special,” in which they bantered with each other about Christmas music and encouraged viewers to “tap follow right now – go ahead.” They went on to say that the channel was being launched to “bring forward different perspectives and voices that perhaps you haven’t heard before. And find our common ground.”

Unsurprisingly, not everyone was pleased, with some wondering if they were going to “find common ground” with a couple who seemed to be profiting from their status. The uproar was amplified after it was discovered that Meghan had already invested in an upscale “super-latte” company – and had asked her powerful friend Oprah Winfrey to promote it on her Instagram. “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle longed for life’s simple and anonymous pleasures, like launching a new, heavily publicised podcast and cashing in on celebrity endorsements,” while another weighed in, “Their greed is out of control.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to Harvey Levin, would have no trouble selling themselves in Hollywood. This is a world he is very familiar with.

“Make no mistake about it, Harry and Meghan are incredibly marketable,” Levin added.

“I mean, we talked to Mark Cuban, who knows a thing or two about branding and business and entertainment, and he thinks they’re going to be billionaires, and the reason is simple. They are sought-after people. They are young, beautiful, intelligent, interesting people and Oprah [Winfrey] has already partnered with Harry on a mental health docuseries.”

“So [Harry] put his foot in the entertainment pond and Meghan has been in it,” Levin said. “So they are… somebody we interviewed calls them the ‘Junior Obamas’ when it comes to making money because they are extremely marketable.”

Former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, who have now achieved success in the film industry by signing a multi-million dollar contract with Netflix, were referred to by Harvey Levin.

“If Kylie Jennner can be worth a billion dollars it’s entirely realistic that the Sussexes could make a billion pounds,” one marketing specialist said.

According to UK branding specialist Claire Shiels, the couple’s valuation could easily surpass that of the Beckhams, who are worth £700 million.

“Their earning power – both individually and as a couple – is limitless in all aspects of endorsements,” Ronn Torossian of New York PR agency 5W Public Relations said.

“Whether appearances, brand partnerships or more, they could make eight or nine figures annually with endorsement deals. The sky is the limit for the two of them.”

“Their trademarked merchandise will just be the stepping stone for higher value products,” said Andy Barr of market monitoring website Alertr.

“Undoubtedly this will be a multi-million pound revenue business given they are effectively trading on the back of the Royal name which is ironic given they are seemingly trying to escape its clutches.”

According to Jonathan Shalit: “The Duchess of Sussex is one of the most famous people in the world. The phone is going to be off the hook. Never before has someone that close to the queen been available for commercial opportunity.

“The real value when it comes to fashion is Meghan. She’s been on the front cover of glossy magazines all over the world. Any brand in the world. It would be phenomenal in terms of her income.

“You mention wellness, theres a TV actress in America… Jessica Alba had a company called The Honest Company that’s worth over a billion dollars. [Meghan] could in theory make billions of dollars if she got involved with the right company in terms of being a shareholder.”

If Harry and Meghan decide to monetize their social media presence, marketing company inzpire.me, which links companies like Coca-Cola and UNICEF with possible influencer partners, told Business Insider that they might raise as much as $105,000 per single supported Instagram post. The prediction is based on the pair’s @sussexroyal Instagram account’s engagement pace.

According to inzpire.me, Kylie Jenner, who was singled out by Haigh as a specific social media success tale, has a gross post fee of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, the Obamas, of whom Meinzer made a similar comparison, are expected to receive a maximum post fee of $230,000.

Marie Mostad, cofounder of Inzpire.me, speculated that Instagram influencing could be on the cards for Meghan and Harry, adding that their original Instagram reveal was “a big departure” from how royal news is usually announced. “This may be the first of many modernizations we see in the royal family,” she speculated.

“[Meghan] could endorse products and have her own beauty brand, they could start a TV channel in the States to raise awareness of their causes – the possibilities are endless,” PR expert James Henderson said.

“Meghan is a beautiful, talented and articulate woman.

“Appearance fees could easily be $100,000 just for turning up to an event, without actually having to do anything else”