Reform UK Receives Record Breaking 72 Million Pound Donation from Crypto Billionaires
5 sources across 4 countries · United Kingdom · Hungary · Japan · Qatar · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- The Independent
- BBC News
- Telex
- The Japan Times
- Al Jazeera
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Reform UK has received a record breaking total of 72 million pounds in donations from two cryptocurrency billionaires, Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Each donor contributed 36 million pounds, marking the largest single donations ever given to a British political party. Ben Delo, the co founder of BitMEX, stated that his contribution is intended to ensure a fair fight and a level playing field. Christopher Harborne, a Thailand based investor, said he was inspired by Delo's gift and wants a party that is ready for government. He added that he expects nothing in return, specifically mentioning no peerage or policy changes.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, described the funds as a war chest that will be used to professionalize the party. The donations come amid ongoing scrutiny of the party's finances. The Metropolitan Police have launched a criminal investigation into whether Reform UK accepted illegal foreign donations, and Farage faces a parliamentary inquiry regarding a separate 5 million pound personal gift from Harborne.
Outlets with a center lean describe the event as an unprecedented cash injection and a record breaking sum. Outlets with a center left lean frame the donations as a plan to buy Britain and a threat to democracy, with some referring to Reform UK as a far right party. The financial impact is significant, as some reports indicate these donations dwarf the amounts raised by the Conservative and Labour parties for the year.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Framed the donations as a threat to democracy and a potential attempt to buy political influence.
- Centre
- Framed the event as a record breaking financial milestone and a professionalization of the party.
Sources
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Second crypto billionaire donates record $49m to far-right Reform UK
- Centre BBC News: The Papers: 'Nigel hits the jackpot' and 'Dark day for democracy'
- Centre BBC News: How Reform's £72m Mega Donations Change UK Politics
- Centre Telex: Record amount: no British party has ever received as large a donation as the one two billionaires just gave to Nigel Farage's Reform UK
- Centre-left The Independent: The crypto billionaires behind Reform’s eye-watering £72 million donations
- Centre The Japan Times: Farage’s Reform UK raises record £72 million in 24 hours, from two crypto billionaires
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.