Second crypto billionaire donates record $49m to far-right Reform UK

A second British billionaire has made a record donation of almost $49m to the far-right Reform UK party, matching the amount pledged by another businessman the day before.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph British newspaper on Saturday, donor Christopher Harborne said the $48.7m (£36m) donation was a “philanthropic gift” to the country, adding that he felt “inspired” to match the contribution made by fellow billionaire Ben Delo 24 hours earlier.

Sixty-three-year-old Harborne is a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor and Delo, 42, is the co-founder of the BitMEX cryptocurrency exchange.

Both donations bring the total sum of money pledged to Reform since Friday to $97m.

They coincide with a flurry of questions surrounding the party’s finances, with London’s Metropolitan Police confirming earlier this week the launch of a criminal investigation into whether Reform accepted illegal foreign donations.

Reform’s leader Nigel Farage celebrated the contributions in a post on X.

“You know what Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne want? Nothing,” Farage said.

“Just a government that will fix Britain. And that’s what Reform UK will deliver,” he added.

The leader of the right-wing Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, criticised Reform, accusing Farage and his colleagues of lacking integrity.