The short answer to that question is that we don't know.
The Fund's organisers have refused to say how much has been spent but have confirmed that money donated by the public was made available for the family's living expenses.
In October, it was revealed that the Fund had been used to make mortgage payments on the McCanns' family home in Rothley. It is believed that two payments were made amounting to £4,000 but the fund directors have never been prepared to divulge that information. The information has come from Clarence Mitchell who isn't even on the board of directors.
The Fund also met the legal fees involved in the setting up of the private limited company but the Fund's directors ruled that they could not use it to pay the legal team defending them against Portuguese allegations that they were involved in Madeleine's disappearance. That has been met by a separate fund, using donations from wealthy benefactors including Sir Richard Branson.
The salary of the McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell is paid by another millionaire, double-glazing tycoon Brian Kennedy. But Madeleine's Fund has paid for other staff, including former campaign manager Justine McGuinness,
In the weeks after Madeleine's disappearance it paid for her parents' campaign trips to Madrid, Amsterdam, Berlin, Washington DC and the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
It was revealed in September that about £300,000 had been spent, and that up to £80,000 was to be paid out for a new publicity campaign in Portugal, Spain and Morocco.
Donations have slowed dramatically, however, since the McCanns were made official suspects in the case.
Exact details of where the money has gone is unlikely to be made public for some time. The first accounts are not due until January 2009 and even then it is unlikely they will provide much detail as to how the money has been spent. Fund officials said an administrator had been appointed to ensure "the highest standards of transparency and accountability".
Mr Mitchell said in October: "The Fund exists to support Kate and Gerry where their living costs would become difficult. Gerry is going back to work this week and they hope they will not have to rely on it for their living costs for much longer."
It is also unclear exactly how much money has come into the Fund from donations, merchandise sales and interest. The official findmadeleine.com site used to carry a running total but this was very rarely updated and has since been removed when the upgraded site was launched on 01 February 2008. The final figure shown on the old site was £1,223,629.31 at 08 January 2008.
Incomings:
£1,223,629.31 + merchandise sales + interest (official findmadeleine.com website no longer carries a running total for the fund so impossible to say what current figures are)
£550,000 from Express Group settlement
£1,773,629.31 Total incomings, although this must be higher due to interviews/donations which have not been publicly declared
Outgoings:
£300,000 - Setting up the fund/Misc expenses/Promotional
£51,000 - Fees to Justine McGuiness as official spokesperson, based on £350 per day for 89 days (£31,150) + overtime payments and expenses - including bar and restaurant bills (£19,850).
£300,000 - Metodo 3 (based on 6 month contract @ £50,000 per month).
£300,000 - Metodo 3 (based on a further 6 month contract @ £50,000 per month).
£4,000+ - Mortgage payments + 'living expenses'
£955,000+ Total outgoings
*
Note: On 22 December 2007, Clarence Mitchell is quoted as saying: "We will review Metodo 3’s contract as we would naturally with any contract. It’s an expensive operation but we are pleased with their work. All the directors want is value for money." (
Link to quote)
On 26 January 2008, the Times revealed that:
'They (The McCanns) were given a boost in November when the production company behind a Panorama documentary agreed to pay about £10,000 for exclusive footage of the couple taken by Jon Corner, a family friend, while they were still in Portugal.
Corner is donating any money he receives for ''licensing rights'' to the Madeleine fund. He said: ''We need to sustain the cost of the search for Madeleine. All money I receive from the broadcast itself will go straight back into the fund.''
Link to Timesonline article
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