Maxime Meiland does not just let her parents decide which part of the Talpa loot she will receive. In fact, there is a lot of fighting going on within the family. “But I’m worth it!”
The Meilandjes earn an incredible amount of money at Talpa, because after the men of Today Inside they are by far the most important for flagship SBS 6. Even more important than Linda de Mol, who nowadays only appears on TV when some suitcases have to be opened. But what is the distribution key within the Meiland family?
Distribution key
It is indisputable that without Martien Meiland there would never have been a TV soap opera. You would say that he is therefore entitled to the highest share of the Talpa loot, followed by Erica and only then Maxime.
There appears to be some conflict in the family about the exact distribution key. Maxime reveals in her book that she always stands on her own from a business point of view. “Actually, I’m the toughest, because if I don’t get my way, I just don’t visit my parents for a few days. That is tactics, because then it will be fine.”
Maxime’s tactics
How is that exactly? Maxime explains NPO Radio 1: “Yes, isn’t it bad? Yes, but yes, you know… I am very tough on business. Then I think: yes, I am worth this. I mean: of course I’m young, so maybe I earn less compared to my parents. In the end, they are also the protagonists.”
She continues: “It is because of them that we ended up on TV, so they have the largest share and I am totally fine with that, but I also just have children. I just have an adult life, so I have something like: I think I’m worth it. Yes, that’s what I’m really going for.”
Bad conversations
Martien does not always feel like continuing with the TV work. Maxime thinks this is selfish, because she has just bought a villa that is actually too expensive for her and she therefore desperately needs the TV money. “Yes, those are really bad conversations, I must say. That remains annoying. That you then have to sit down with him and also with my sister.”
She continues: “That is even more difficult, because he also has the store, so he already has a much smaller share in it anyway. But then he also thinks: yes, I also give up a lot and people also recognize me. So those are really bad conversations. I especially notice that my father finds that the most difficult. He is just afraid that there will be a fight.”
Chin down
Would Maxime be disappointed if Martien throws in the towel? “Yes, but on the other hand: I also understand that at some point he will get something like: yes, I think it’s good this way.”
Would she agree? “Ehmmm… Yes, I think so. If he really really really says: ‘I just really don’t want to anymore’, yes, of course… I won’t let that man show up while he thinks: I want to plod in the garden and enjoy a nice retirement. No, I’m not going to do that. No no. No, I can’t do that to him, poor man.”
Fragment
An excerpt from the interview with Maxime: