The Reform leader changed his mind about standing as an MP after receiving the donation
Reform leader Nigel Farage was given a donation of around £5 million by cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne in 2024, it has emerged.
A Guardian investigation found that Farage received the gift in 2024 before U-turning on his decision to stand as an MP.
In late May 2024, Farage ruled out standing as a parliamentary candidate in the upcoming general election.
Just weeks after receiving the donation from the Thailand-based crypto investor, Farage changed his mind, deciding in June 2024 that he would stand for election.
The Guardian approached Farage and Harborne about the gift, but neither provided a comment. Instead, lawyers for Reform UK and Harborne pleaded for more time.
In a Telegraph interview, Farage confirmed that he had received the gift, saying that it was to pay for his personal security.
As the payment was a gift, it was not taxed or declared as it did not count as a political donation.
In addition, at the time, Farage had not announced that he would run for the seat of Clacton-on-Sea, and therefore may not have needed to declare it to the electoral commission.
In the same article, Farage said that his home was targeted in a firebomb attack in early 2025. The Reform leader said he wasn’t home at the time and that the device “burned itself out in the porch”.
Farage said that the donation followed an unsuccessful attempt to secure Home Office-funded security in 2019 and after Harborne became concerned about his level of protection when a milkshake was thrown at him.
To date, Harborne has given a one-off £9 million donation to Reform UK, the largest single political donation in history. In 2025, the former Tory donor gave £12 million to Farage’s party.
While receiving donations from the crypto investor, Farage has lobbied the Bank of England to welcome cryptocurrency.
In addition, while at a bitcoin conference in Las Vegas last May, he also announced last May that Reform would become the first UK political party to accept cryptocurrency donations.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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