Royals including Zara Tindall ‘paid thousands by Hong Kong tycoon in exchange for advice’
MEMBERS of the Royal Family have been bankrolled by a Hong Kong tycoon, it is claimed.
Zara Tindall, the Queen’s granddaughter, was paid £100,000 a year to advise on horse racing at the Global Group of companies, owned by tycoon Dr Johnny Hon.
As a non-executive director she attended just two board meetings a year by telephone, as well as four functions, the reported.
Zara’s brother Peter Phillips, 41, launched a horse racing members club with Dr Hon just two weeks ago. He will receive a salary for his figurehead role for the firm.
Mrs Tindall’s representatives initially denied her role but later accepted she had held it when shown documentary evidence.
Last night she and her brother refused to comment.
Meanwhile the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, 59, was paid almost £300,000, as well as a £72,000 retainer, by a company chaired by Dr Hon for her non-executive directorship of his film investment company based in Hong Kong. She is also a director of British media investment firm Gate Ventures, formerly chaired by Dr Hon.
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In April 2017, before taking up her post, she got £200,000 from an offshore bank for “marketing and promotion”.
Her spokesman said the payment was a loan from Gate Ventures solely related to her tea firm Ginger and Moss, adding a further £90,000 loan was repaid.
Cambridge-educated Dr Hon said royals were used “because of what they can do for individual projects”.
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