Seattle-based nonprofit Tisbest Philanthropy quietly funneled thousands to Archewell and the Sean Combs Foundation—raising questions about anonymous giving and celebrity-linked charities. A little-known nonprofit that anonymously distributes charitable donations is at the center of major contributions to high-profile celebrity foundations—including those of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, as per DailyMail. Seattle-based Tisbest Philanthropy donated $10,050 to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation during the 2022–2023 fiscal year, according to public tax filings. The same platform also funneled $50,000 to the Sean Combs Foundation in 2022. The original source of these funds remains a mystery. Tisbest’s unique gift card platform is specifically designed to keep donors’ identities hidden, offering a discreet way for wealthy individuals or companies to make tax-deductible donations via recipients who choose where the money ultimately goes.
Archewell’s history of anonymous funding
This is not the first time the Sussexes have benefited from hidden philanthropists. In 2021, Archewell reportedly received a $10 million donation from an undisclosed billionaire via the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which specialises in anonymous giving by ultra-wealthy donors. Despite public interest, Archewell has never disclosed the identities of its major financial backers. Sean Combs is currently embroiled in racketeering and sex trafficking charges, but filings show that his nonprofit remained operational through 2023. The Sean Combs Foundation reported distributing $792,833 in grants last year, including to causes close to the embattled mogul’s personal circle. This includes a $10,000 donation to the Miss Hylton Fashion Academy, run by Diddy’s former partner Misa Hylton, and $20,000 in the previous year. Hylton, who shares a son with Combs, publicly condemned the artist following the release of a disturbing video in May showing him allegedly attacking ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Celebrities’ financial exchange
Financial exchanges between celebrity foundations also raise eyebrows. In 2020, Combs’s charity gave $250,000 to Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation, which returned the favor with an identical donation to the Combs Foundation in the same year. Other major recipients of Diddy’s charitable giving include:
- Apollo Theater received $250,000 in 2022 during a gala where Combs was honoured in absentia
- Howard University awarded $300,000 in 2019, and an additional $1 million in 2016 —both of which led to an honorary degree and scholarship program, later revoked in 2023.
- Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School, given $300,000 over several years despite press reports calling it “extremely dysfunctional.”
- Mount Saint Michael Academy, Combs’s alma mater, which received $65,000 over time
The Combs Foundation is led by a close-knit group: Diddy serves as chairman, his sister Kiesha Combs Dent as president, and longtime associate Tariq Brooks as treasurer. Business manager Lou Taylor, founder of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, signs off on all filings. Tri Star itself is under public scrutiny for its alleged role in the Britney Spears conservatorship case, where the company was accused of financial mismanagement—claims it has denied. More recently, Taylor’s colleague Robin Greenhill was named in a lawsuit alleging payments were made to Combs’s alleged sex workers as part of a “criminal operation,” according to music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. With Combs potentially facing prison time, his professional and philanthropic careers are in jeopardy. His charity now holds just $120,538 in reserves, and given the mounting allegations, few organisations are expected to associate with it going forward.