Why Prince Harry Won't Get Anywhere Near His $12Million Payout From Snooping Settlement — With Donald Trump Set to Be the REAL Winner From His Bitter Court Case
Harry scored a $12million settlement with The U.K. Sun.
Jan. 24 2025, Published 7:05 p.m. ET
Not so fast, Prince Harry.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Duke of Sussex better not start spending his massive $12million payout from a British tabloid quite yet – as it will certainly end up being a lot less than anticipated.
Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle alleged a British tabloid was snooping on them.
Earlier this week, Harry reeled in millions of dollars in his legal battle against News Group Newspapers (NGN), who publishes U.K. newspaper The Sun.
The company admitted they hired private investigators to gather information about Harry between 1996 and 2011.
Harry's settlement is believed to have involved an eight-figure sum, possibly more than $12million – which covers damages in his six-year case against the publisher over accusations of illegal information gathering by them and the private investigators.
But when all is said and done, the actual dollar amount will be significantly lower.
The money comes at a time when the royal couple need it.
Most of the money is set to go to Harry's lawyers and other court fees.
He'll get whatever is left, but because he is a U.S. resident, he'll have to pay Donald Trump and the American IRS taxes on his victory.
A source told the Daily Mail: "As a U.S. resident Harry has to pay tax on his worldwide income unless it's been taxed in Britain."
So the royal would be able to avoid paying Uncle Sam as long as he has to pay his home country first.
But..."here's the sting in the tail," the source continued, "legal damages are not taxed in the UK."
Most of the money will go toward lawyer fees and taxes.
Harry's settlement could not have come at a better time, especially with rumors he and his wife, Meghan Markle, are running low on cash.
The couple's latest projects have completely failed, including Harry's Netflix docu-series Polo, which did not resonate with viewers.
A royal insider claimed: "... Netflix isn't even promoting (Polo), it's so bad, which means Meghan's lost allies there, too. They're running out of both money, Spotify exec and friends."
His handout came after he accused NGN of illegal information gathering and targeting him – the publisher had denied any wrongdoing at the time.
However, the company changed its tune, and issued a statement offering "a full and unequivocal apology" to Harry while confirming they had agreed to pay him "substantial damages."
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Despite an apology, Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, called out the publisher in a scathing statement.
He said: "... The truth that has now been exposed is that NGN unlawfully engaged more than 100 private investigators over at least 16 years on more than 35,000 occasions. This happened as much at The Sun as it did at the News of the World, with the knowledge of all the editors and executives, going to the very top of the company."
Sherborne continued: "As a direct result of him taking a stand, Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago. This has created serious concerns for the security of him and his family."
Harry's lawyer also praised the 40-year-old for “his bravery and astonishing courage," which has "brought accountability to a part of the media world that thought it was untouchable."
"I am sure I speak on behalf of the thousands of victims when I say we are grateful to him for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure," he added.
