Nigel Farage's attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week was hosted and paid for by the family trust of Iranian-born billionaire Sasan Ghandehari, the Guardian has learned. The trust, HP Trust, has a portfolio value exceeding $10bn (£7.4bn).
Farage, leader of Reform UK, is listed on the Davos programme as a member of parliament and a representative of HP Trust. A spokesperson for the trust confirmed that Farage was invited by Ghandehari as an honorary and unpaid adviser to his impact investment portfolio, which focuses on philanthropic activities, particularly in the Middle East. The trust covered Farage's registration and hotel costs.
Ghandehari, now a British citizen, is the son of the late Iranian-Kazakh billionaire Hourieh Peramaa and is a London-based art collector. He is currently involved in a legal dispute with Christie's auction house over the provenance of a Picasso painting.
Reform UK stated that Farage does not work for HP Trust and that any declarations regarding who paid for the trip would be registered in due course. This is not the party's only link to the Ghandehari family; earlier this year, design firm Interior Architecture Landscape donated £200,000 to Reform UK in two tranches. The firm confirmed the Ghandehari family are clients but said the donation was made independently by the company's management.
