Prince Andrew Bought 'Unaffordable' $17m Ski Lodge in 2014 - Questions Raised
Duke of York lives far beyond his income, spending millions on luxury lifestyle
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Prince Andrew has found himself embroiled in scandal recently, as details of his relationship with billionaire convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have emerged, but now questions are being raised about how he manages to fund his extravagant lifestyle.
Of course, Andrew, the Duke of York, is the second-born son of Queen Elizabeth II, so he's clearly a man of means.
Yet, the income that his royal status awards him doesn't even come close to funding his lavish lifestyle.
Prince Andrew receives an annual tax-free handout from the Queen of £249,000 ($323,000) to fund his private office.
On top of that, he receives a small naval pension of £20,000 ($26,000).
Despite his significant "earnings" of £269,000 ($350,000) seeming more than adequate, his spending habits suggest an income way beyond that.
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According to former British politician Norman Baker, Andrew and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, bought a £13 million ($16.88m) ski chalet in the upmarket Swiss resort of Verbier, in late 2014.
Even more striking, at the same time, he was spending £7.5 million ($9.74m) to refurbish Royal Lodge, his home in Windsor Great Park.
Nor was he scrimping on personal possessions.
In early 2015, he was snapped wearing the latest 18-carat gold Apple Watch, which would have set him back around £12,000 ($15,600).
Unless, of course, that was another "private" gift.
So how can someone with the declared income he has possibly afford a Swiss chalet, and to support such an opulent lifestyle?
Meanwhile, investigator Mike Fisten says an address book was found in child sex trafficker Epstein's mansion that contained "13 different contact numbers for Prince Andrew."
Discovered at Epstein's mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, the address book was found to have contact details for several of the Duke of York's residences, including Buckingham Palace, according to reports.
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The latest revelation in the investigation will come as a blow to Prince Andrew, who has continuously denied witnessing Epstein doing anything illegal during their friendship.
One of the first investigators to examine allegations that Epstein had sexually abused and trafficked girls, Mike Fisten, has now claimed the book is a "treasure trove" of information and has been able to show investigators the true scope of Epstein's travels and contacts.
Speaking to British media, Fisten makes clear that vulnerable girls were targeted and that there had been no way you could have been around Epstein and not have been around such people.
He added: "When people tell me, 'I didn't know what Jeffrey was about,' I don't want to say BS. I'll just say hogwash.
"Because if you were around Jeffrey you were around underage girls.
"He has no children. He has no nieces… Come on.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that something was going on there."
