British crypto billionaire Ben Delo has donated £4 million to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, according to an article he wrote in the Telegraph. Delo, who was convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls at his cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX and later pardoned by Donald Trump, made the donation since the start of the year, before the government's cap on donations by British citizens living abroad came into effect.
Delo, 42, now based in Hong Kong but moving back to the UK, said he had become politically active for the first time, motivated by what he called a 'regime of nonsense' among the UK's elites. He described England as his home and said that 'the biggest obstacle to national recovery is the entrenched self-deception of our elites'. Delo, who is on the autism spectrum, also criticised the 'official culture of government' for forcing dishonesty, particularly regarding views on transgender people.
Delo co-founded BitMEX, a trillion-dollar cryptocurrency exchange, and pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the US Bank Secrecy Act. He noted in his article that his regulatory failing 'isn't even a crime in the UK'. Delo describes himself as a champion of free speech and supports over 50 organisations across the political spectrum.
A Guardian investigation last month found that Delo provided support in kind to Rupert Lowe, an anti-migration MP challenging Farage from the right, and connected with figures including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and former cabinet minister Michael Gove. Delo has poured more than £100 million into philanthropy and offers a suite of rooms in a building near Westminster Abbey known as the Sanctuary, used for events and office space.
Nigel Farage welcomed the donation, saying Delo's support will help Reform UK 'attract more of the skills and talents we need to get ready for government'. He added that it was 'gratifying' that someone like Delo, a 'builder and a visionary', sees the potential of Reform.
