British cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne have made history by making a great donation of £36 million to Reform UK, making them the largest individual donors to a British political party on record.
Who is Ben Delo?
Ben Delo, 42, was born in Sheffield and studied mathematics and computer science at Oxford University. He later served for IBM and JPMorgan ahead of moving into cryptocurrency.
In 2014, Delo co-founded crypto trading platform BitMEX, assisting in building his net worth. He was convicted in the US in 2022 over a Bank Secrecy Act violation but was later pardoned by Donald Trump.
Delo called himself a philanthropist and signed the Giving Pledge in 2019, promising to donate his entire fortune in his lifetime.
He stated his £36 million donation to Reform was intended to ensure a “fair fight” at the next election.
Who is Christopher Harborne?
Christopher Harborne, 63, was born near Sheffield and studied engineering at Cambridge University. He has made his fortune through aviation, defence, investments and cryptocurrency.
Based in Thailand since 1996, Harborne has previously donated millions to Reform, including £9 million last year. His latest £36 million donation matched Delo’s contribution.
Harborne has also supported the Conservative Party and previously accompanied Boris Johnson on a trip to Ukraine.
He has donated to Nigel Farage’s private office and gave the Reform leader more than £60,000 for travel to Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
Currently, a probe is underway into a £5 million gift Harborne gave Farage in 2024, before Farage became an MP.
Both billionaires stated their donations are aimed at helping Reform UK build the infrastructure required to compete politically.
