Nigel Farage’s right wing Reform UK party has pulled in a combined £72 million ($97 million) from two wealthy figures in the crypto world, after Christopher Harborne matched an earlier record breaking gift from Ben Delo.
Harborne confirmed his £36 million contribution on Saturday, a day after Delo went public with his own donation of the same amount. Combined, the two gifts now stand as the largest political donations ever recorded in British history. This is not Harborne’s first contribution to the party either, having already handed over £9 million back in August 2025.
The donations arrive against the backdrop of an investigation into Farage himself, who had come under scrutiny over past gifts and donations worth millions of dollars from individuals connected to the crypto sector, namely Harborne and George Cottrell. Farage has consistently maintained he did nothing improper.
The controversy led Farage to step down from his seat in Parliament back in July, forcing a by-election that drew significant attention. He went on to win the contest comfortably, taking 63% of the vote and defeating his closest rival, satirical candidate Count Binface.
The scale of crypto money flowing into Reform’s coffers has prompted concern among various members of Parliament, who question what influence the digital asset industry might be gaining over British politics.
Delo received a pardon from President Donald Trump last year after previously pleading guilty to violating US anti-money laundering laws, and has since relocated back to the UK from Hong Kong. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the BitMEX crypto exchange co-founder explained his reasoning behind the massive donation, stating: “Unlike the people who express mock concern for the health of ‘our democracy’ while doing everything they can to keep it as a cartel, I want a fair fight and a level playing field.”
He continued, “My conclusion from Reform’s recent troubles is that they should spend less time trying to raise funds to compete on equal terms and more time preparing for government.”
According to Delo’s own account in the Telegraph, the £36 million figure was calculated to represent £1 million per month leading up to the anticipated 2029 general election. He chose to transfer the full amount immediately rather than spread it out, specifically to avoid any risk of the donation being intercepted or blocked.
Farage responded warmly to both contributions, stating the funding would put Reform UK in a position to compete in the next general election on equal footing with rival parties.
