'Sorry, but this makes me puke': Piers Morgan blasts Victoria Beckham for using taxpayers' money to pay salaries
Piers Morgan blasted designer Victoria Beckham for putting a proportion of her staff on furlough. The 'Good Morning Britain' host launched an attack on Posh to reconsider her decision of using the government bailout scheme since her family is worth $444 million (£335million).
The Morning Show host launched the attack in response to a video showing Victoria introducing Sir Elton John for the 'One World: Together At Home' concert.
He wrote, "Sorry, but this makes me puke. If you care this much about the NHS, @victoriabeckham - then why are you taking taxpayer money the NHS desperately needs - and you DON'T need - to furlough your staff & prop up your failing business."
If the government accepts Victoria's proposal, that would result in the taxpayer shelling 80% of their wages up to $2,716.35 (£2,500) per month per employee.
Victoria plans to pull down the shutters on her flagship store in Hong Kong to focus her attention on her emerging beauty line, 'Victoria Beckham Beauty'. A source revealed to The Sun, “Like many, Victoria has reluctantly had to furlough staff members. It wasn’t a decision she took lightly but, for the long-term stability and profitability of the company, it had to be done. She has been personally keeping all her team involved with emails the whole way through, and has put all of the staff involved on enhanced furlough packages.She has even forgone her own salary in order to lead from the front. Although she is still passionate about fashion, Victoria will really be focusing her efforts on the beauty side now. Overheads for the online business are low, and it’s really beginning to flourish.”
The designer has chosen not to take her salary during the coronavirus crisis and has lost yet another senior executive after her chief marketing officer quit. This is the seventh staff member Victoria has lost since January, including her chauffeur.
A spokeswoman for Victoria, on Saturday, April 18, said: “We are working hard to ensure our much-valued VB team are protected by keeping our business healthy.
“Having carefully assessed all our options, we made the decision to furlough a proportion of staff on an enhanced package.”
However, her decision does seem a bit jarring considering her personal wealth. Her handbag collection alone is considered to be worth £1.5 million ($1.8 million). Two weeks ago, she and David Beckham splurged £17 million ($21.2 million) on a penthouse in Miami, which includes a £25 million ($31.27 million) mansion in Holland Park, West London and a £6 million ($7.5 million) barn conversion in the Cotswolds, where the family chose to quarantine themselves. Two weeks before lockdown, the Beckhams reportedly spent £100,000 (over $125,000) on a 21st birthday bash for their eldest child, Brooklyn.
Victoria Beckham Limited has not made a profit since it launched in 2008 and despite being praised by experts, the business keeps faltering, sales fell 16 percent, according to accounts filed in November. Victoria had said at the time, “We’re on track to break even, but it’s not going to happen tomorrow.”