Crypto billionaire Ben Delo donates record £36 million to UK’s Reform UK party
Cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo, co-founder of BitMEX and a Trump pardon recipient, donated £36 million ($48.7 million) to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. This is the largest single political donation in British history, surpassing the previous record of £9 million. Delo, convicted in the U.S. for bank secrecy violations and pardoned by Trump, aims to help Reform UK challenge mainstream parties. The donation occurs amid fraud allegations and a police investigation into the party’s finances.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page reads the event directly, while its address stays stable when the title changes.
- Summary awaiting refresh
Summary awaiting refresh
Cross-source coverage
Reporting timeline
Reform Party Raises Record £72 Million in 24 Hours from Two Crypto Billionaires
The UK's Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage, has raised a record £72 million ($97 million) in less than 24 hours from two cryptocurrency billionaires, far exceeding the annual fundraising totals of Labour and the Conservatives. Christopher Harborne, the party's largest donor, announced on Saturday he would match the £36 million donation previously disclosed by BitMEX founder Ben Delo. The funds are intended to help the party compete in the next general election, which could be called by Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham as late as August 2029. The donations come amid unprecedented scrutiny of Reform's campaign finances, including police investigations and a probe by the UK Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards into whether Farage failed to disclose a £5 million donation from Harborne. Farage argues the payment is exempt from strict regulations. Delo stated he paid upfront to circumvent potential Labour changes to party funding rules, including a new £100,000 cap on overseas donations. The donations dwarf previous records, including the £10 million bequeathed to the Conservatives by John Sainsbury. Despite winning only a few seats in the last election, Reform surged in opinion polls last year. A Labour spokesperson called on Farage to cooperate fully with police investigations.
Read sourceSecond crypto billionaire donates record $49 million to far-right Reform UK party
A second cryptocurrency billionaire has donated a record $49 million (£36 million) to the far-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, according to multiple news reports. The donation, made by Christopher Harborne, matches a previous record donation from another crypto investor, bringing total donations from the crypto world to $97 million. Harborne, who was pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, described his donation as a philanthropic gift to the country. The donations have sparked significant media attention, with outlets like Al Jazeera, BBC, WSJ, Reuters, and The Telegraph covering the story. The influx of funds from crypto billionaires marks a notable shift in political funding in the UK, raising questions about the influence of digital currency wealth on far-right politics.
Read sourceCrypto billionaires donate record £36 million each to UK right-wing populist Reform UK party
Reform UK, the right-wing populist party led by Nigel Farage, has received two donations of £36 million each from crypto entrepreneurs Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo, the largest single donations in British party history. The donations, reported by the Daily Telegraph, are intended to help Reform UK build infrastructure to compete with the Labour and Conservative parties. Ben Delo, co-founder of BitMEX, stated he wants a 'fair fight and a level playing field' and to help Reform UK 'prepare to govern.' Delo was pardoned by US President Donald Trump in 2025 after pleading guilty to violating a banking secrecy law. Farage expressed being 'honored' by the donations. Reform UK has raised at least £85 million since the start of the year, far exceeding the Conservatives' £10.2 million and Labour's £7.7 million. The party is currently under investigation for allegedly failing to declare a £5 million donation from Harborne. Reform UK had led polls but has recently fallen behind Labour, which gained momentum after replacing Keir Starmer with Andy Burnham in July. The next UK general election is scheduled for summer 2029.
Read sourceShow 9 older updatesHide older updates
UK Reform Party Receives Record $97 Million in Donations from Crypto Billionaires
The UK's Reform Party has received a record-breaking $97 million in donations from individuals associated with the cryptocurrency world, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The donations include a $49 million contribution from a second crypto billionaire, as reported by Al Jazeera, which described the party as far-right. The BBC noted that the 'gobsmacking' donations have revived traditional red versus blue politics. In an op-ed for The Telegraph, donor Christopher Harborne characterized his contribution as a 'philanthropic gift to our country.' The Guardian analyzed that the £72 million in donations makes Reform's prospects both rosier and riskier, highlighting the potential benefits and scrutiny that come with such significant financial backing.
Read sourceReform UK receives second record £36 million donation from crypto investor in 48 hours
Nigel Farage's Reform UK party has received a second record-breaking £36 million donation within 48 hours, bringing the total from two crypto investors to £72 million (approximately $97 million). The donations come from individuals linked to the cryptocurrency world, including one who was pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The influx of funds has raised concerns about the influence of money in British politics, with critics questioning the source and scale of the donations. The contributions are among the largest ever made to a UK political party and significantly boost Reform UK's financial resources ahead of potential elections.
Read sourceFarage's Reform UK receives two £36 million donations from crypto billionaires
Nigel Farage's Reform UK party has received two separate £36 million donations from cryptocurrency billionaires, totaling £72 million. The first donation came from Christopher Harborne, who described it as a philanthropic gift to the country. The second donation was made by a crypto investor who was previously pardoned by former US President Donald Trump. These record-breaking donations have sparked debate about the party's financial prospects and potential risks. The influx of funds from crypto billionaires raises questions about the influence of wealthy donors on British politics and the transparency of political donations. The donations have been widely reported by major news outlets including Politico, BBC, The Guardian, Reuters, and The Telegraph, highlighting the significance of this development in UK politics.
Reform UK receives record 36 million pound donation from crypto billionaire Ben Delo
The right-wing populist British party Reform UK has received a record donation of 36 million pounds (approximately 42 million euros) from cryptocurrency entrepreneur Ben Delo, co-founder of the BitMEX platform. This is the largest single donation to a political party in UK history, surpassing the previous record of nine million pounds, also given to Reform UK last year by another crypto billionaire. Reform leader Nigel Farage told the Daily Telegraph he felt 'honored' by the trust. Donor Ben Delo stated he wants a 'fair fight and a level playing field' and to help Reform UK 'prepare for governing.' Delo, based in Hong Kong, pleaded guilty in the US in 2022 to violating bank secrecy laws but was pardoned by President Donald Trump last year. The donation comes amid weeks of fraud allegations against Reform UK, including a police investigation into claims that senior party officials attempted to conceal foreign donations, and a parliamentary inquiry into Farage's failure to declare a five million pound cash gift in 2024. The party, which had led polls, has recently fallen behind the ruling Labour Party.
Read sourceReform UK receives record 36 million pound donation from crypto billionaire Ben Delo
Reform UK, the right-wing populist British party led by Nigel Farage, has received a record single donation of 36 million pounds (approximately 42 million euros) from cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo, co-founder of BitMex. This is the largest single donation to a political party in UK history, surpassing the previous record of 9 million pounds also given to Reform UK by another crypto-billionaire, Christopher Harborne, last year. Delo, who is based in Hong Kong and was pardoned by US President Donald Trump in 2025 after pleading guilty to violating bank secrecy laws, stated he wants a 'fair fight and a level playing field' and to help Reform UK 'prepare for governing.' The donation comes amid weeks of fraud allegations against the party, including a police investigation into claims that senior party representatives attempted to conceal donations from foreign sources. Additionally, a parliamentary investigation is underway against Farage for failing to declare a 5 million pound cash gift in 2024, which he claims was a personal gift. Reform UK had led polls but recently fell behind the governing Labour Party after Keir Starmer was replaced by Andy Burnham as party leader and prime minister in July.
Read sourceCrypto investor pardoned by Trump donates £36 million to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party
A British crypto billionaire, who was previously pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, has donated £36 million to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. The donation, described as 'gobsmacking' by the BBC, is the largest single political donation in British history. The donor, a cryptocurrency investor, received a pardon from Trump for a previous conviction. The donation has significantly boosted Reform UK's finances ahead of the next general election. The news has been covered by multiple major outlets including Reuters, BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, and Politico, with reactions from political figures such as Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch highlighting the revival of traditional red versus blue politics in response to this development.
Read sourceCrypto investor pardoned by Trump donates £36 million to Farage's Reform UK
A crypto investor who was pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump has donated £36 million to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, according to a report by Yahoo News UK. The donation, a significant sum for the British political party, links a figure from the U.S. political and cryptocurrency sphere to UK politics. The investor's pardon by Trump adds a layer of political context to the contribution, which is expected to bolster Reform UK's financial resources. The report highlights the intersection of international political connections and cryptocurrency wealth in British electoral funding.
Read sourceCrypto Investor Pardoned by Trump Donates Record $48.7 Million to UK's Reform Party
On September 11, Reuters reported that cryptocurrency investor Ben Delow, co-founder of trading platform BitMEX, will donate a record 36 million pounds ($48.7 million) to Britain's populist Reform UK party. The donation provides significant financial support to Nigel Farage's party as it seeks to challenge Britain's two main mainstream parties at the next election. Delow, who was convicted of violating bank secrecy in the United States and later pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, has already donated 4 million pounds in the last quarter, becoming the largest donor to Reform UK. The article was corrected to specify Friday instead of Thursday. Reporting was by Carlos Mendez in Mexico City and Elizabeth Piper in London, with editing by Chris Reese.
Crypto investor pardoned by Trump donates £36 million to Farage's Reform UK
A crypto investor who was pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump has donated £36 million to Reform UK, the political party led by Nigel Farage. The donation, reported by CNA, represents a significant financial boost for the party. The investor's identity and the specific circumstances of the Trump pardon are central to the story, linking U.S. political actions to UK political funding. The article highlights the intersection of cryptocurrency wealth, presidential pardons, and British politics.
Read source