Key Takeaways:
- Christopher Harborne, a Thai-based businessman, has donated a record £9mn to Nigel Farage’s Reform party, giving them a significant war chest ahead of upcoming elections.
- Harborne has a history of donating to the Brexit party and has also given money to the Conservative party and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
- He has made his fortune through aviation and cryptocurrency investments, including an early bet on ethereum.
- Harborne has a close relationship with Farage and has been involved in the party’s strategy, but has also been accused of being on "every side of the trade" by a former Reform co-leader.
- He has survived a plane crash and has a reputation for being "very canny" and "intensely private".
Introduction to Christopher Harborne
Christopher Harborne, a suited man with short silver hair, arrived at the offices of Nigel Farage’s Brexit party in central London in early 2019. He had recently given the party £200,000 and set up several work screens, a coffee machine, and a fridge stocked with gin, tonic, and limes. Harborne had made a critical promise to Farage: he would cover the Brexit party’s 2019 general election costs. He ended up donating a total of £10mn to the Brexit party before and after the 2019 poll, money that allowed Farage to apply intense pressure on Westminster to withdraw fully from the EU.
Harborne’s Background and Business Interests
Harborne was born in Britain but has lived and worked in Thailand for over two decades. He graduated from Cambridge university with a master’s in engineering and later studied at the Insead business school. After working as a management consultant at McKinsey, Harborne made his first millions in aviation, founding a jet fuel broker called AML Global in 2005. His company has been awarded more than $39mn in contracts with the US Department of Defense. Harborne’s fortunes really exploded after he took an early bet on cryptocurrencies, trading bitcoin from 2011 and ethereum from 2014. His early ethereum investment now accounts for a major portion of his net worth.
Harborne’s Relationship with Farage and the Brexit Party
Harborne has a close relationship with Farage and has been involved in the party’s strategy. He has been described as "slightly geeky" and views the UK "like a mathematical equation that is producing the wrong answer". Harborne’s £9mn donation to Reform, just as Farage is trying to supplant the Conservatives, has been seen as a significant blow to the Tories. Another associate of Harborne’s said that the donation was the "biggest ‘fuck you’ the Tories could have received". Harborne has also funded the Tories and, in particular, Boris Johnson, giving the Conservative party £1.5mn in 2022 and donating £1mn to Johnson’s private office after he stood down as Tory leader.
Harborne’s Involvement in British Politics
Harborne’s involvement in British politics is not limited to his donations to the Brexit party and the Conservatives. He has also attended meetings at Chequers with Johnson and has taken a stake in British defence company Qinetiq. He has since built his stake to become its largest shareholder. Harborne has also travelled to Ukraine with Johnson, who has continued his strong support for the country’s defence since leaving Downing Street. The documents show that in October 2023, Johnson penned a reference for Harborne to an unknown person in which he referred to the crypto entrepreneur as both a personal friend and a supporter of his office.
Controversy Surrounding Harborne’s Donations
Harborne’s donations have not been without controversy. Ben Habib, a former co-leader of Reform, has accused Harborne of being "on every side of the trade". Habib said that during the 2019 election campaign, Harborne and Farage "lived in each other’s pockets", and Harborne was regularly in the Brexit party offices helping to discuss strategy. The FT reported last year that in 2019, Harborne asked an associate to donate £50,000 on his behalf so that it would appear that the Brexit party had a broader donor base. A spokesperson for Harborne said last year: "All of Mr Harborne’s political donations and disclosures concerning those donations, including throughout 2019, were made in full compliance with electoral laws."
Conclusion
In conclusion, Christopher Harborne is a significant player in British politics, with a close relationship with Nigel Farage and a history of donating to the Brexit party and the Conservatives. His £9mn donation to Reform has given the party a significant war chest ahead of upcoming elections. While Harborne’s involvement in British politics has been controversial, his business interests and donations have had a significant impact on the country’s political landscape. As the UK prepares for pivotal elections in May, Harborne’s influence is likely to be felt once again.