Leaked documents suggest Boris Johnson approached senior Saudi officials he had met while prime minister to pitch a consultancy firm, Better Earth, which he claimed could assist the petrostate in reducing carbon emissions. The revelations, obtained by Distributed Denial of Secrets and seen by the Guardian, appear to show Johnson exploiting Downing Street contacts for commercial gain, raising questions about potential breaches of lobbying restrictions.
The approaches included a lunch and meeting at a private members' club with an influential Saudi minister, as well as a flattering letter to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in which Johnson described himself as a 'fervent admirer of the vision you have for the kingdom'. Better Earth, co-chaired by Johnson, was established by Canadian mining financier Amir Adnani.
The cache of documents, dubbed the Boris Files, offers an inside view of Johnson's post-prime ministerial career, showing how he has used his influence and contacts to forge a lucrative private sector role. Johnson did not respond to multiple requests for comment but later emailed a statement dismissing the story as 'rubbish' and denying misuse of the public duty costs allowance.
Better Earth's shareholders include seven close associates of Johnson, including two former Conservative ministers and Charlotte Owen, a 32-year-old former aide given a peerage. Johnson met Prince Mohammed during a 2022 visit to Riyadh and held several official calls while in Downing Street, with reports of frequent WhatsApp exchanges.
Johnson's employment contract with Better Earth, signed in late January 2024, provides for a part-time role with an annual salary of £120,000 and an initial 12.5% stake. The offer was signed a day after Johnson visited Riyadh for a speech and dinner hosted by the UK ambassador. Neither Better Earth nor the Saudi government responded to requests for comment.
