British cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo has donated £4 million to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, according to a newspaper article written by the donor. The 42-year-old, who was convicted in the United States for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls at his crypto exchange BitMEX, has since been pardoned by former US President Donald Trump.
Delo, currently based in Hong Kong, wrote in the Telegraph that the donations were made from the start of this year, before the government introduced a cap on political donations by British citizens living abroad. He confirmed he is moving back to the UK, meaning future contributions will not be subject to the new rules.
In his article, Delo criticised the “entrenched self-deception of our elites” and said he had become politically active for the first time. He described Reform UK as “a genuine alternative party of government” and said the party is “leading in the polls by virtue of recognising and articulating the full scale of the problems our country faces”.
Delo, an Oxford graduate who says he is on the autism spectrum, expressed concern that “the official culture of government now forces everyone to be chronically dishonest”, citing views on transgender people as an example. He described himself as a champion of free speech and said he supports more than 50 organisations across the political spectrum.
Nigel Farage welcomed the donation, telling the Telegraph: “Our priority is to build a detailed programme for government… Ben’s support will help Reform attract more of the skills and talents we need to get ready for government.” Delo’s donation follows £12 million given to Reform by Thai-based donor Christopher Harborne.
