Crypto billionaire Ben Delo gives Reform UK record £36m

In the United Kingdom, crypto billionaire Ben Delo donated a record £36 million to Reform UK, The Guardian reports. Delo, who returned to the United Kingdom from Hong Kong, has become the country’s biggest political donor, the publication notes.

His contribution exceeds the £15 million that Reform UK received from crypto investor Christopher Harborne, who lives in Thailand. Since the beginning of the year, Delo has already donated £8 million to the party.

Investigation into funding

The donation came at a time when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is facing a police investigation into the party’s foreign funding. Separately, a standards inquiry is under way over an undeclared personal gift of £5 million to Farage from Harborne.

It had previously been suggested that Delo’s donation could be subject to restrictions on donors who must reside in the United Kingdom for at least 12 months before giving more than £100,000. At the beginning of September, Reform UK said it was confident that Delo would not have to return the money.

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US conviction and reactions

In 2022, Delo was convicted in the United States for improperly implementing anti-money-laundering mechanisms in the BitMEX cryptocurrency business. He was later pardoned by US President Donald Trump.